Have You Ever
by Gadien Elf
Summary: Spoilers for 4x13.  A single path is not set in stone.  Can Sydney and Vaughn make this decision for themselves, or will they fall back on the Agency?  Contains adult content, the rating is there for a reason. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: Let's Play a Game

Have You Ever…

Summary: 4 x 13 Spoilers. Thus begins my favorite drama! Filled also with action, adventure, and romance! And other bits of cream filling!

Disclaimer: Alias is not mine, only my varieties of character manipulation, AKA, the storyline, is mine.

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Chapter 1: Let's Play a Game

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"Hey…let's play a game." Weiss suggested after an extended period of silence. 'The Notebook' had ended several minutes ago, the credits still rolling though the TV had long since been muted.

"Sure." Syd smiled back and, though it wasn't her usual full-dimpled flash, she complied, resting against Vaughn's solid chest. Ever since their dance at the train station, he'd maintained some form of contact. He held her hand the entire drive back, set it against her knee during the debrief, even kept it a firm presence on the small of her back as they talked to various people around the office - Weiss and Nadia being the two they opted to spend the rest of their evening with.

"What kind of game?" Nadia asked, leaning back against Weiss' strong arm that he'd managed to sneak around her shoulders half way through the movie. Though, to his embarrassment, at the rounds of laughter that followed his patented yawn-stretch-hold move, he kept it there saying, 'I worked for it and didn't get smacked, it was win-win.'

"The 'Have You Ever' game."

Vaughn groaned, closing his eyes and tipping forward until his forehead was resting against Sydney's soft shoulder.

"What's wrong, Mike?" Eric wiggled his eye brows toward his friend, hoping to rouse the party a bit.

"Eric, I think we've played this game into oblivion. I though we'd shot it to put it out of its misery."

"Nope. Come on, it's the best way to get dirt on people. And there are two people here, young women I might add, that I don't believe we know enough about."

"Wait…how do you play the game?" Nadia questioned, intrigued, a half smile on her face.

"Someone asks the question, 'Have you ever…' then finishes it with a question of their choosing. If no, the person passes. If yes, however, said person must reveal all of their secrets in the form of a very embarrassing story." Weiss finished as he saw the nods of approval from Syd and Nadia, only seeing Vaughn shake his head.

"Three against one buddy; better luck next time."

"Fine. If I'm forced to play, I get to ask the first question. And believe me, it will be mean. Have you ever…caught your superiors car on fire while driving it illegally through an obstacle course full of live land mines…don't give me that face Weiss…while refusing to read the map for directions?"

"Honestly, I'd be surprised if anyone could ever say yes to that." Syd gasped, looking over at Weiss with a newfound respect.

"Well, I can. Yes, I did. But, I have to say that it was a dare, and Vaughn started giving me the directions."

"You're such a liar! I started yelling at you to turn around before you killed us."

"Well…whatever. The car's back end hit a mine and blew the axel in half, so Mike and I bailed out. All of a sudden, BOOM! The car is 15 ft in the air, and crashes into the top of a very sturdy tree, completely engulfed in flames. So yes, to answer your question…I have done that….ass. My turn."

His brow furrowed in deep thought as he stroked at the stubble appearing on his chin.

"Have you ever…owned Superman, or any hero or heroine, underwear?"

"Eric…" Sydney groaned as Weiss turned to Nadia with a devilish smile.

"Well, hate to put a damper on the party but no, sorry. Underwear is overrated." She finished, seeing Weiss' eyes grow as he gaped like a fish before turning to look at the couple across the room.

"Absolutely. Spiderman all the way." Vaughn answered with a laugh, feeling Sydney chuckle against his chest, thankful for the constant pressure serving as a reminder that she was back; that she was okay.

"Syd?"

"Of course. Who didn't? Sleeping Beauty."

"My turn." Vaughn laughed as he pondered a question. "Have You Ever…burned an extremely important meal for any major holiday?"

"Lame question man…" Eric laughed, reaching over and taking a swig of his beer before settling back against the comfy couch. "I try not to cook…it's all about parents. That's why we keep them around; to serve un-burned food."

"Well, in Argentina we always had one huge celebration at the end of the year. Since none of us really knew when our birthdays were we all celebrated together. One year, I pleaded and pleaded to make the cake, and finally was allowed to. Of course, I forgot all about it when a game of tag started outside. I ran back inside to hear the caretaker yelling at the top of her lungs and see flames bursting from the oven. Needless to say, we didn't have cake that year." She laughed, though some of the pain was still evident in her eyes, it was muted against the happiness from being around the only true family she'd managed to find.

Sydney became quiet, a sad yet reminiscent smile gracing her features. "About…a few months into being a double agent inside SD-6, I'd had a mission on Thanksgiving. Of course I totally forgot all about it, and Vaughn reminded me on one of our meets in the warehouse. I rushed home to see smoke pouring from the windows, and I made my way into the house as Francie came running out to open the rest of the apartment up. She'd completely fricasseed the turkey, though it was still edible, but I always felt kinda guilty that I hadn't been there to help. The turkey was always my job…" she sighed, her eyes far-away until the touch of Vaughn's lips to her temple brought her out of her reverie. She smiled lightly in return, seeing Nadia pipe up.

"My turn. Last one, because we all have work tomorrow and I need sleep. Have You Ever…walked in on something…well, indecent we shall say, in a bathroom or bedroom?"

"Getting dirty are we?" Eric grinned as Nadia smacked his arm playfully, noticing Sydney's smile falter as she put on a slight smiling front.

"Yes…yes I have."

"Care to elaborate?" Nadia asked lightly, though seeing the change in Sydney's demeanor, "Or not… you don't have to."

"Nah, come on. It can't be that bad…"

"Danny…" The one word served as a brick wall to Weiss.

"I'm sorry, Syd, I completely forgot…" Nadia tried to apologize, though the other brunette shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Don't, I'm sorry. I'm not exactly in a playful mood; it's been a long couple days."

"Look, why don't we let ourselves out? Nadi and I will hang out for a little longer at my place, and I'll have her home at a reasonable hour." Eric suggested standing and pulled her up with him.

They wouldn't take no for an answer as they quietly walked out of the apartment, the door a faint click echoing off of the walls surrounding the remaining couple.

"Hey…you okay?" Vaughn asked quietly, seeing the distant look on her face.

"Yeah…I'll be fine."

"That's not what I asked."

"Vaughn….have," she paused, looking down at their joined hands across her lap. "Have you ever felt what it's like to take your last breath? To see the light go out and everything get hazy?" She looked up at him with wounded eyes, a single tear spilling across her flushed cheek as he shook his head slowly.

"No…no baby, I don't. But I know what it was like hearing you take it. Your phone was cutting in and out, and the only bits and pieces that were coming through were staggered breaths…and…sobs. Have you ever wanted to hold someone so much that you cradled the phone like a lifeline?"

"Yes…" she sobbed, twisting against him as he cupped her face in his palms, the pads of each thumb rubbing away the tears streaming from her red-rimmed eyes. He leaned forward, brushing his lips across hers like a whisper before deepening his actions. His mouth slid over her own as his tongue traced the line of her lower lip.

Her fingers curled in his hair, clinging to him as he kissed her and begging him to go farther. But he seemed to be in control of the situation as he pulled her back, keeping his hands firmly on her cheeks and continuing to assault her mouth. Finally, his tongue pushed past her lips and she met him eagerly, tasting the unique quality that was Vaughn mixed with the red wine he had been casually drinking that evening. His taste and scent riddled her senses as the need for oxygen became overbearing. They broke apart slowly, breaths mingling between them as she opened her eyes to see his green orbs watching her with an intense desire and love filled gaze.

No words were spoken as he pushed her up and stood, pulling her back against him as he walked them slowly toward the bedroom. Kicking the door closed behind him, his hands moved from the center of her back in opposite directions. One undid the pins holding her hair away from her head and dove into the chestnut tresses as the other pulled her flush against his body by the small of her back, fingers kneading gently in circles.

A small sigh mixed with a moan squeezed from her lungs as she pushed her face into his throat, her own arms wrapping around his neck as he held her firmly against his taught body. She placed small kisses against the column of his neck as his hands continued their gentle attack to the stiff muscles of her back and neck.

She broke some of his resolve as her lips traveled down the side of his throat to his collar bone, nibbling gently as she heard the groan deep in his chest. His hand found the hem of her shirt and snuck underneath, beginning to caress up her soft skin, expecting to reach the clasp of her bra. A smile formed and his eyes danced as he found none and both hands removed the shirt, tossing it over his head. Her delicate fingers found the buttons of his own, making quick work of them as his deft hands moved to the drawstring trousers set low on her hips.

She traced the prominent muscles of his chest, fingernails scraping lightly as his mouth finally joined her own, his arms unwrapping her to shed the shirt entirely.

"We should move this to the bed…you know what happened last time we tried to remove pants while being lip-locked." His voice was lower, a huskiness to it as he sucked at the pulse point of her neck, feeling and hearing her throaty laugh.

"That would be an interesting 'have you ever' question…"

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A/N: YAY! I do have this full story posted at SD-1, but I figured I'd play on the safe side since SD-1 has had server problems in the past. So I'll be posting it here in pieces. Hopefully I get some feedback, I'd love to hear (well, read) what you all think!

-Jean


	2. Chapter 2: Only You

Chapter 2: Only You

(Mature content)

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Vaughn's hand ran down her side and Sydney shivered at the intimate contact. Her fingers twined with his as his other hand held her back to his chest, his fingers splayed across her flat stomach as the warmth of his skin seeped into her own; the sheet pooling at their waists.

Neither was sure how they ended up in the position they were in. The clothing had come off so fast it was nearly blurry as they toppled onto the bed, but once they lay in each other's arms, the solace discovered was nearly as complete as any bout of lovemaking. Cuddling, touching, and feeling was priority.

"Syd, I almost lost you again." His words were muffled as he spoke between kisses against her soft, bare shoulder.

"But you didn't; I'm right here." She countered, turning in his embrace to prop herself up on her arm moving her brown eyes to his dark emerald ones.

Vaughn sighed as he let his gaze wander over her chest and stomach lovingly, reaching a hand out to cradle her cheek. "You are so beautiful."

Her free hand moved between them as her fingers dove into his spiky and unruly blonde hair his eyes closing as he leaned into her touch. She traced the contours of his face; her fingers moving lightly over his eye lids and to his nose, over his cheekbones and to his chin as she caressed the dimple of his chin, causing him to give her a lazy and lopsided smile.

She continued her way across his face, outlining the edge of his shaped ear before moving down his neck as she came around to run her fingernail over his Adam's apple. Rubbing her hand over his muscled chest, she followed the line from his pulse point to his stomach, tracing each abdominal muscle gently before moving back up across his side. She traveled down his arm and stopped at his hand. Lifting it, she kissed it gently before moving back to his chest, her palm resting over his heart. Placing another feather light kiss, she felt the strong beat beneath her lips as she heard his heavy breathing; felt his fingers tangle in her hair and she looked up at him with a small smile.

"You're driving me crazy." He murmured as he pulled her into a languid kiss, his tongue commandeering her mouth as she met him in the middle, each fighting for control. Michael's hands moved over her hips, grasping them and pulling her lower half into contact with his own, his arousal grinding into her stomach as she moaned into his mouth.

His lips moved lower as he tentatively bit her collarbone as she sighed and closed her eyes, her hands moved to his sides as she arched her hips to meet his straining erection, smiling seductively as he groaned low in his chest. She arched her back away from him, as she pushed her hips farther into his own, eliciting another rumble from her lover.

"I've warned you before not to tease me, Syd." His mouth moved lower and his warm lips surrounded one taut nipple as she gasped at the sudden contact, her mouth went wide as a silent scream was unable to leave her throat. His lips moved to catch the other peak as her fingernails dug into his waist as her leg wrapped around his calf.

"You were warned." He chuckled as he moved back up to her lips, his light kisses making her sigh.

"Please, Vaughn…"

"Please what?" He asked quietly, his voice a husky whisper, taking her hips in his hands, he lifted her gently up against him as he sat perfectly poised at her moist entrance.

"Michael…." She warned, finally finding the strength to open her eyes as she caught the mischievous glint in his jade-green eyes, yet she could find nothing pertinent to speak of as he slowly pushed his way into her body, encountering little resistance from his tender Sydney. His forehead fell to her shoulder as one of her hands began kneading the small of his back, the other moving through his hair; the tips curling slightly with the sweat beginning to bead his entire body.

His hips moved back slowly, his hands pushing her body away from his as he unsheathed himself almost completely, pulling her back to him slowly as inch by inch he rejoined his body with hers. Her cries filled him with a heady pleasure as he repeated his efforts again and again, his hips moving back and forth in a steady rhythm.

He pulled her to his chest, his arms cradling her slight form as his hips drove her to madness. She strived to meet his thrusts, her face buried in his neck as she whispered his name repeatedly.

He rolled them from their sides to a position above her, his arms cradling her against him as his mouth left a wet trail from her shoulder to her lips. His tongue delved into her warm mouth as she lifted her hips to meet each of his eager thrusts.

"Michael…please." She pleaded against his lips between their kisses, and Vaughn's mind lost all conscious thought as his hips unwittingly began moving faster; the friction between them unbelievable as his pace became quicker and more ardent. Sydney's gasping words of encouragement drove him over the brink as he plunged into her soft body over and over, a hoarse cry tearing from his throat and mixing with her own as they came together, panting and throbbing as his body clung to hers to ride out the aftershocks.

Their breathing was labored as he buried his face in her flowing hair, the wonderful tresses sticking to his sweaty face and throat as she ran her fingers over his shoulders and back. Their breathing slowed, as did their hearts before he rolled to his side and wrapped her in his arms.

"Vaughn?" She asked lightly as the last embers of their passion still hung in the air.

"How come you never call me Michael?"

She laughed, her foggy mind remembering the last time he asked her that question. Everything had been so much easier back then, even though it wasn't.

"Sometimes I do. But only when you get me in bed. Vaughn?"

"What, baby." He asked with a grunt as he rolled them back to their sides, his body still snugly fit within her own, and their legs remaining wound together. There wasn't an inch of their bodies that weren't connected, foreheads resting against one another's as their breaths mingled.

"I know…I know I didn't get a chance to say this before…well…before everything went to hell, but… I love you. After the last mission, I figured it would be pointless to wait…to hold it in any longer. Only you…" she trailed off, leaving Vaughn with a large smile.

"Syd, I love you too. Only you." He repeated, lowering his swollen mouth to hers in a gentle and loving kiss, born from desire and passion, but filled with love and reverence. He was taken a bit by surprise when she didn't respond. Her breathing had evened out, and he nearly laughed at the sight of her sound asleep with a sated smile curving her pouted lips, head resting against his still damp shoulder as he pulled her closer.

"I confess my undying love and you fall asleep." He chuckled lightly, vowing that tomorrow she'd hear her own words repeated.

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-Jean 


	3. Chapter 3: Meanwhile

Chapter 3: Meanwhile…

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The walk to Weiss' apartment was silent; thoughts swirling in both agents' minds as he unconsciously took his keys from his jacket pocket and opened the door. Fatigue was beginning to set in for both of them as they trudged into his place.

Alan and Donovan both greeted their master as the front door opened. Sniffing at Nadia they deemed her a non-threat and made their way into the kitchen, puppy dog eyes on full blast as Weiss smacked his forehead.

"Sorry guys I totally forgot to call the neighbor and have them feed you."

"Well, with the shape they're in, it doesn't look like a couple days without food is too unhealthy." Nadia suppressed a giggle as Eric filled both bowls while tossing her a jesting glare. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and settled down with her on the couch.

She took a small drink, setting it on the coffee table and folded her legs underneath her body. "Well, what's on the agenda now? Movie? More revealing games?"

"We could play another game. I never get tired of 'em." Weiss laughed, as he set his beverage beside hers, twisting to face her on the couch.

"Let's play Would You Rather." She suggested, seeing his eyebrows peak in interest. "You've never played?"

"Nope."

"Well, you start out with the question, Would You Rather, and then finish it with two separate things. For example: would you rather eat pizza or fast food?"

"You mean I have to choose?" he whined, causing her to laugh as she patiently waited for an answer.

"Well…I guess I'd choose pizza. My turn."

"Would you rather…not brush your teeth for three days, or not change your underwear?"

"What is it with you and underwear?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you, woman, answer the question." He laughed and stood, making his way into the kitchen. "You want something to eat?"

"Sure, umm, I'd have to go with not brushing the teeth. I guess. They're both gross." She grumbled, taking a drink of her beer as she heard him rifling through the fridge. She stood quietly, making her way behind him with a grin on her face.

"We've got leftover spaghetti…if you're interested. Syd made it."

"Fine with me."

He pulled out the dish and proceeded to plop it into a pan, turning up the heat as he turned to face her with a smile.

"I'll help get the table ready." She went in search of the silverware drawer, finding it on the first guess.

While she prepped the table with plates and utensils, he opened the cabinet above the sink in search of two clean wine glasses. A toppling noise caught his attention as one of the glass cups tipped from its booby-trapped placement leaning against the door of the cupboard on the top self.

"Dammit!" He cried as the large glass bounced off of his eyebrow with a sickening pang and proceeded to shatter on the floor. His hand flew to his eye as Nadia rushed over.

"What happened?"

"Damn…stupid….falling….eye…ugh!" He growled as Alan and Donovan poked their heads around the corner of the counter to see what Weiss was grumbling about.

"Come on, get out of the glass." Nadia has a small smile plastered on her face, though concern shadowed her eyes. She quickly shooed both dogs outside to avoid getting glass in their paws and locked the door quietly. Taking him by the shoulders, she pulled him over to the couch after turning off the stove. "Here, let me see."

"Huh-uh." He pulled away from her touch and kept his hand firm against his face.

"Don't be such a baby." She growled with a laugh, tugging his hand away to see the angry knot swelling and a slight oozing of blood erupting from the blunt crease caused by the edge of the glass. "Well, now you know not to put the largest glasses on the top, don't you? Come on." She pulled him up gently and led him to the bathroom.

He growled, squeezing her hand as he forced them to turn left into the correct room. "Shut up."

"Sit." She ordered, pushing him up onto the counter beside the sink as she waited patiently for instructions on where the first aid kit was located.

"Cabinet to the right, third shelf."

She nodded and pulled it out, opening the small white box painted with a red cross on the top and lifted out gauze and two butterfly strips.

"Would you rather…."

"Nadia…my head. Then we can play some more."

"Shush. Would you rather have alcohol or iodine?"

"Neither."

"Not an option."

"Damn. Ummm…I don't care." He grumbled, folding his hands together in his lap as he felt a drop of blood land on the top of his cheek.

"You look like a little boy." She laughed, grabbing the essentials and moving to stand between his legs and tip his face so she could see clearly. "It doesn't look too bad, does it hurt?" She asked, fingers prodding gently.

"Ow!" He grunted and pulled away, smacking his head into the mirror behind him.

Nadia could only laugh as he snatched the washcloth from her hand and set it over his eye, his other hand rubbing the back of his head and ruffling his hair while glaring at her with his good eye.

"Sorry…" she laughed again, lifting a small pad and dabbing at the cut carefully. She cleaned it quickly, apologizing lightly for each little gasp of pain he managed to let creep out from his tightly closed lips.

Applying the butterflies to stop the bleeding, she dabbed at it once more before moving to step back. His hands on her waist stopped her, and she mentally asked herself when he had gripped her during the two or three minutes she spent bandaging his brow. Both eyes were closed as a small frown graced his usually smiling and chipper face. She gave him a small smile and leaned forward, setting a gentle kiss to his forehead directly above the knot beginning to form. She kept peppering kisses around his eye, moving down his cheek to the tip of his nose before he lifted his head and pushed his lips against the corner of her jaw. His kisses joined in as she pressed her lips directly from one closed eye to the other.

Weiss found a tender spot right below her ear and latched onto it, his tongue tracing the small red circle his lips had just made. She pulled back slightly and leaned in, covering his mouth with her own. His hands moved up from her waist; one stayed in the middle and rubbed against the tense muscles as the other traveled to the nape of her neck, holding her in place while his tongue traced the line of her lips and begged entrance to the moist depths.

"Wait…" she pulled back lightly, knocking Eric out of his romantically enhanced stupor as he finally opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Eric, we're moving too fast. I mean…I don't know…it's not that I don't…" she stuttered, her face moving down as her fingers began twisting in the limited space between their bodies.

"Nadi, look. I'm not going to go farther than you want. Come on, we're both dead tired after a continuous party at APO for 36 hours. Plus the fact that I'm dealing with some mild head trauma. Let's just…let's just go to bed. I'll behave if you will." He promised, setting his hand against her cheek as he released her waist.

She nodded with a soft smile and looked up before placing a kiss against his chin. He led the way into the bedroom and reached into his dresser drawer.

"Can't promise that you won't fall out of them, but here is a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt." He grinned, watching as she accepted the clothes with a smile and made her way to the bathroom to change. He all but jumped from his wrinkled work clothes and into his customary pair of boxers and a hockey shirt as he heard the water run briefly before she come out of the bathroom. She'd tied the pants around her hips, though they still hung dangerously low, and rolled up the legs that still seemed to drag along the floor. She had on a white camisole instead of the baggy Kings Hockey shirt.

"Shirt too big?"

"No, I had this on under my jacket. Won't be the first time I've slept in it." She grinned and handed the item back before climbing onto the bed. "Which side do you normally sleep on?"

"Who cares." It was a statement more than a question as he flipped off the lights and walked to the opposite side of the bed. He pulled back the blankets and climbed in, seeing and feeling her do the same. After they were in and comfortable, he inched his way closer to her side, pulling her back against his chest as he spooned with her gently.

"Night, Nadi." He sighed, setting a small kiss to her temple as she relaxed completely in his arms, sleep settling in quickly.

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-Jean 


	4. Chapter 4: A Little More

Chapter 4: A Little More…

(Mature Content)

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'Love is all around you now  
So take a hold  
Hidden in our words  
It sometimes ain't enough  
Don't suffocate day after day  
It's building up  
Cause when you're feeling weak  
You know I'm strong enough.

Oh, let the world crash  
Love can take it  
Oh, let the world come crashing down  
Oh, let the world crash  
Love can take it  
Love can take a little  
Love can give a little more.'

Skillet – Collide

Water sluiced in rivulets down her body as Sydney relaxed under the intense, hot spray. Her arms were propped up against the wall in front of her as she was veiled by a curtain of hair hanging in a wet sheet before her face. Her body was full of aches and pains, some more pleasant than others. The small finger-shaped bruises adorning her hips were certainly more pleasurably attained than the bruise on the side of her forehead, due to smashing head-on into another vehicle, and the angry marks on her knees from trying desperately to maneuver in a coffin.

Of course, with any new cuts and sores, the hot water gives them an ample opportunity to make themselves known. One particular scrape along the upper part of her back, laying on what had to be the upper part of her shoulder blade, was stinging something fierce. She tried to keep her mind from wandering into the last couple days, sans the previous six hours. She wanted to keep the images of the darkness away, but they seemed to creep up on her. She had one source of light, and he was asleep in the next room.

She tilted her head back, letting the water push the clinging strands away from her cheeks and diverting the flow to her chest. Silent tears filled her eyes as she squeezed them shut and a quiet sob wracked her body. The look in Alex's eyes as he pleaded for his life, a life of a defector lost because of her. The vacant expression she managed to see every time she turned on her phone to look at her confined surroundings. The agony of defeat slamming through her chest as her phone died, hanging up on Vaughn. She hadn't even managed to get out a good bye.

She jumped as hands wrapped around her waist, thought she quieted quickly when Vaughn's lips found the spot where her neck and shoulder joined.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

His question went unanswered as she twisted in his arms and pressed her face into his throat. He sighed and ran his hand up and down her back, stopping for a few seconds to rub at the tensing muscles as she poured out her rage, sadness, and fear. Her cries calmed as she hung nearly limp in his embrace, his strong arms a sheltering harbor from the rest of the world. She regained some of her composure, pulling away slightly. His hands slid down to her waist to let her know he wasn't going to let her detach from him completely.

"Sydney, there's something you need to know. You're my anchor, and I think you've known that for a long time. Before Lauren; before we dated, before Nice. Possibly even before I knew it. Syd…we can't change anything that's happened in the past. Believe me, I know. But we can change the future. And I'm finishing the change you started last night. I love you; how can I not?" He asked lightly, one hand moving to cup her cheek as she let out a laughing sob.

"I didn't think you'd heard me last night."

"Oh I did, and you fell asleep before I got a chance to reply." He smirked in a usual, crooked Vaughn way before setting his lips against her cheek. Her eyes closed at the sensations he began to invoke, his fingers dancing along her spine mixing with the steady spraying heat from the showerhead. His lips moved away as he brushed his fingers over her eyes causing them to close. He left her momentarily as he leaned down and picked up the shampoo bottle. Squeezing a bit into his palm he turned her around and began massaging the contents into her hair. He took his time, turning her head this way and that, rubbing harder in some spots and softer in others until he lifted the showerhead off of its perch and tipped her chin back in a signal to rinse.

Moving on to the conditioner, he did the same. The ends of her hair were rolled between his fingers as he pushed the creamy mixture into the dark strands. He turned her back around and rinsed, telling her with a whisper to leave her eyes closed, though the comforting situation kept them like that anyway.

She dimly heard the sound of another bottle opening, the soothing scent of lavender and vanilla assailing her senses as she felt netting against her skin. With her eyes closed, the other senses kicked in at full throttle. Vaughn's lips connected with her shoulder before he ran the soaped loofah over it, and a rain of kisses traveling along her collar bones to the opposite shoulder. The rushing water immediately washed away the suds, his mouth tracing every curve of her shoulders and neck.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as his hands moved skillfully lower, the netted material running in gentle yet soothing circles over her stomach as his fingers dipped into her belly button. He dropped the loofah, the water circling around the drain below filled with a torrent of suds leaking from the netting into the rush of liquid. His lips fastened to the thumping pulse point of her throat, one hand settling over her stomach as the other moved around to the small of her back between their bodies. Fingers running in small circles, she could feel his erection beginning to grow against her backside, sliding along her skin with each well-placed move of her hips. Rolling the back against his stomach, his throaty groan in her ear made her smile as her own hands began to roam.

Feeling a rush to her center, she reached back behind her to stroke the stubble-covered chin propped on her shoulder, fingertip dipping into the dimple before moving back and diving into his hair. She snuck the other hand around, gripping the head of his hardness with a gentle yet knowing hand. The rush of air forced from his lungs was cool on her moist skin as his hand left her back and traced her side until he maneuvered his way to her chest. Showering each breast with acute attention, her nipples strained against his palm as she squirmed against the hand still holding her stomach.

"Vaughn…" His name was a breathless whoosh of air as he ran a finger along her center, the wetness not caused by the rapidly cooling water. It felt good on their heated skin as his fingers flicked her clit, making her jump.

She guided him with a quick squeeze and a tug so the tip of his cock was against her velvet opening. Without warning, his hips thrust up, slamming him to the hilt in her depths as their groans reverberated through the enclosed space. The pace was slow as her hands reached behind her, one gripping his straining bicep as the other yanked his head to hers, threading in the wet hairs at the back of his neck. Their mouths joined with fervor, tongues dueling and mapping out the recesses of each others depths, drawing a squeaky moan from Syd's throat when his tongue matched the pattern of thrusting his lower half was doing.

They began to speed up, his hand wrapping tighter around her waist as the other propped against the wall in front of them for leverage. He ground himself time after time into her clit; the shockwaves making her groans turn into mewls as her hand fastened tighter to the back of his neck, their mouths making a smacking sound as they parted for oxygen. Slightly sharp fingernails pressed crescent shapes into his upper arm as he felt her inner walls begin to contract around his shaft, speeding up his impending orgasm. The hand across her stomach moved slightly lower, his ring finger sliding against her clit twice before she exploded in his arms, the vice like grip on his straining cock too much to handle. He slammed up as far as he could with one final thrust as he came, his own growls blending with hers when his orgasm triggering a second, smaller one inside her quivering body.

They waited with heaving chests for their pulses to slow and their breathing to return to normal, the cold water prompting them to hurry. A slight shiver racked her slender frame as Vaughn pulled out of her warmth and turned her around. Bringing her face up to his, their lips met in a gentle, loving kiss. The shrill ringing of a cell phone quickly cutting through the euphoria they had created.

"Let it ring." He ordered, turning off the water and stepping out. He helped her into a warm fluffy towel with one last kiss as he wrapped himself up. The material twisted easily around his waist and he folded her back into his arms, pushing the willing young woman back into the bedroom. Patting her body dry, he pulled back the covers to the bed and, ditching his own towel, dove in.

Syd laughed, sliding in a slightly more graceful move beneath the covers, laying her head on his still wet chest.

"Thank you."

"Ya, I hated that I was forced to take such action to bring you back, but if that's what it takes I'm more than willing to sacrifice." Her quiet laugh made him smile as he absently ran his fingers through her wet hair, watching the emotions play across her face as she fell asleep, him following soon as the previous day's exertions caught up with the couple.

* * *

-Jean 


	5. Chapter 5: Snuggle Buddy

Chapter 5: Snuggle Buddy

* * *

Nadia woke slowly, her mind trying to settle on her surroundings in a brief moment of panic-induced unawareness. The warm body behind her brought her back to reality and she grinned, lightly scooting out from underneath Weiss' arm. She stretched her arms over her head, the harsh sunlight streaming in from the window. The curtain rod was empty, the window seeming bland without any adornments around it.

She stood quietly, glancing down at the sleeping lump of a man on the bed as loud whining took the soft smile from her face. She made her way out of the room and into the kitchen. Two puppy faces stared up at her, their wet noses pressed up against the glass door as she grinned, letting Alan and Donovan into the apartment. They both seemed to glare at her before making their way silently into their master's bedroom.

Nadia shook her head lightly, searching the entire kitchen for a broom and hopefully a dust pan to clean up the glass from last night. Getting lucky, she located the broom between the fridge and the counter and the dust pan underneath the small table next to the couch. She cleaned up the shards quickly, dumping them into an overflowing trashcan before wrapping it up and double bagging it, setting it on the back step.

Starting a pot of coffee, she heard a soft moaning from the bedroom. Thinking he had just woken up and was wondering where she had gone, she poured two cups half way and made her way to the bedroom. She stopped at the doorway when she heard another groan…definitely not the sound of a waking man.

"Mmmmm….yea….right there." His voice was low and gravely, a seductive quality to it, followed by another hearty moan. "Nadi…yes…mmmmm…."

Her head peeked around the doorway, seeing Donovan lying across his lap and Alan licking from his neck to his ear. Weiss had an indescribable look on his face; something between pleasure and surprise. Leaning against the doorframe, she sipped from her coffee with a 'cat that ate the canary' grin on her face as she watched the show.

"Nadi….you…mmm…you smell like Kibble…" At the word both dogs whined in unison.

Weiss' eyes flew open, taking in the scene around him. Two smiling mutts with one across his lap and the other on his chest, Nadia smirking in the doorway. Alan continued licking his ear as Eric sat up quickly, pushing them both onto the floor with simultaneous thuds.

"I smell like Kibble, do I?" She asked with a giggle, both dogs looking up at her and bolting to the kitchen.

She held the cup into his line of vision before turning and walking from the room.

"Crap…" Eric mumbled as he jogged out of the room behind the chuckling young woman. "Exactly how much did you hear?"

"Enough."

"Dammit…well…oh well. It's not like you weren't sleeping with me all night. My mind was bound to wander. We have anything for breakfast?"

"Nothing, I checked. And I cleaned up the glass."

"Wow. You've been productive. How long have you been awake?" He asked, settling down on a barstool at the counter.

"Not too long, enough to witness your love for your pets." She grinned over the coffee cup, filling his to the top.

"We should call Syd and Mike, see if they're up."

"It's 7:04, I doubt they're up."

Weiss shook it off, picking up his phone and hitting speed dial.

"Huh…they're not answering. Maybe we should just show up." He suggested with a chortle as he set the phone back on the base.

"Well…I need clothes, and I do live there." Nadia grinned as Eric gulped down his coffee and stood, making his way back to the bedroom.

"I call the shower first." He shouted, taking his clothes with him and leaving the bedroom for her to dress in.

The walk to the apartment was short as Nadia pushed the door open, taking in the quiet house.

"They're probably still sleeping, I'll start making breakfast."

"I vote pancakes." Weiss suggested as he opened the girls' paper and automatically flipped to the sports section. Taking it out, he requested two mugs of coffee. After leaving the rest of the news sections on the counter, he picked his own cup up before heading off to the bedroom. Feeling, more than seeing, the cynical look Nadia shot in his direction as she pulled out the pancake mix and other various ingredients she'd need to make the large breakfast.

Weiss walked toward Syd's bedroom, seeing the door slightly ajar as a thin beam of light shone on the hardwood floor of the hallway. He peeked in first, making sure they weren't in the middle of anything, seeing the couple wrapped in the large downy quilt and Syd across Vaughn's chest, he grinned and entered the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he calmly set the two cups beside the sleeping couple, taking his own into the palm of his hand while opening the paper and calmly leafing through the latest hockey scores.

"Eric?" Syd's voice was light as she lifted her head up from her comfy spot on Vaughn's chest.

"Brought you coffee." He pointed to the nightstand without looking up as Vaughn's eyes opened as well.

"Why the hell are you…are you here?" She asked with a growl, pulling the blankets across her chest as she flopped onto her back and burrowed underneath the covers.

"The Kings won." Was Weiss' only comment as Vaughn sat up, leaning back on his elbows as his half of the coverlet pooled about his waist.

"Really?"

"Vaughn…" Sydney growled.

"Right…sorry…get out."

"Can't."

"Why not?" Vaughn asked, unable to keep the slight smirk from his face.

"Nadia's making breakfast."

"Then why are you in here?" Syd questioned, sitting up like Vaughn as she made sure the blankets stayed up around her chest.

"I came to wake you two lovebirds up. Tried to call, but you didn't answer the phone. Besides, Nadi needed clothes and so boom. Here we are." He looked up for the first time, smiling at the two rumpled faces glaring at him. Though the glare was more from Sydney's side than Vaughn's. "So get up, she's making pancakes." He ordered, stood, and walked from the room after tossing the sports section on Vaughn's chest with a grin.

"What…why…what…" Syd trailed off as she turned to look at the smirk on Vaughn's face.

"Morning, baby." He leaned forward and placed a light kiss to her lips as they got up, grumbling about the premature start of their day.

* * *

-Jean 


	6. Chapter 6: Breakfast of Champions

Chapter 6: Breakfast of Champions

* * *

After getting dressed and speeding through another shower, Syd joined Nadia in the kitchen while Vaughn dressed in the bedroom.

"So…you seem tired." Nadia commented flippantly, while pouring some of the pancake mix on the skillet.

"Oh ya? Well you seem well-rested." Syd shot back, a casual grin on her face as she yanked her hair back into a wet ponytail and secured it with a hair tie from her wrist.

"Be nice, girls." Weiss called from the table as he sat enjoying the baseball section and a fresh cup of coffee.

"Shut up, Weiss. You woke me up this morning. I reserve the right to make fun of your sex life…or lack there of – no offense Nadia."

"None taken."

Soon, breakfast was underway as Vaughn walked down the hall wearing an open button-up shirt and a pair of baggy khaki shorts.

"Smells good." He smiled lightly, placing a kiss to Syd's temple and flopped down next to Eric.

"You know…not all of us here have a toned body like you. You wanna button that up there?" Eric growled as Vaughn snatched the paper from his hands, leaving him with the front page. "Oh, is that how it's going to be? Fine, I'll busy myself with the Comics." He sulked, searching for the colorful pages of, sometimes, immature entertainment.

"Dammit Eric, the Kings lost." Vaughn growled, looking up at him with smoky green eyes and a frown marring his face.

"Well...I figured you'd wake up faster if I'd told you they'd won."

"That's not fair…just because Syd and I had some,"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Michael Vaughn…" Syd's warning from the kitchen was laced with a grin as she fried the bacon and sausage. The toast popped up as the doorbell rang, each occupant looking back and forth before Sydney made her way into the foyer.

"Dad," Her surprised voice wafted up to the others and Vaughn hastily buttoned up his shirt upon hearing Jack Bristow's entrance to the girl's apartment.

"Morning. I just wanted to check on you, make…make sure you were doing all right."

"We're fine…I'm…I'm fine. Would you like to have breakfast with us?"

"No, thank you. Work." His usual, albeit lame, excuse hung in the air as he awkwardly smiled over at his daughter and her companions. "Oh, Sloan wanted me to tell you that you've all more than earned the weekend off, so…since I was around I thought I'd let you know."

"Oh…well, thanks dad. You sure you don't want breakfast?" Syd asked, laying a gentle hand on Jack's arm.

"You're more than welcome to stay Mr. Bristow…" Nadia offered as she placed the last pancake onto the already overstocked plate and made her way into the dining area.

"No, but thank you again. I'll see you all Monday." He gave Sydney's arm a final squeeze before heading out the open door.

"Well, let's eat. I'm starving." Weiss grabbed three pancakes, Vaughn doing the same, as the group began their breakfast.

"We should have a party." Weiss spoke as he and Vaughn cleared the table and rinsed the plates, setting them in the dishwasher.

"What? Why would we have a party?"

"Come on, the weekend off? That's like…unheard of. We have to do something. Have a bar-b-queue…something."

"Eric, maybe we should just spend a quiet weekend together." Syd suggested as she and Nadia relaxed while the boys cleaned up.

"By 'spending a quiet weekend together' you mean with me right?" Vaughn questioned, his nearly permanent grin plastered on his face.

"Exactly."

"You see? That's what we mean by lame and boring. Come on, we'll have it at my place and I'll grill…come on…"

"Well, I'm in." Nadia grinned as she flipped through the paper, finding nothing interesting and abandoning it back to the center of the table.

"All right! Guys, please? It's been forever since we've done something together." Weiss pleaded, pulling out the puppy dog face and watching both Syd and Mike roll their eyes in unison.

Sydney nodded slowly, Vaughn repeating, as they both agreed.

"Sweet!" Weiss did his little dance around the kitchen before Vaughn socked him in the arm.

"Don't dance yet, Cinderella, we've still got dishes to do. So when are we doing this? Tomorrow?"

"Why not this afternoon?"

"Because we'll need to get stuff Nadia and I can make…something other than a meat product." Syd argued as she stood and looked in the freezer for anything worthy of the grill.

"Why?" Both boys asked simultaneously, an incredibly curious look on each face as they stopped what they were doing mid-stride, looking over at Sydney with cocked eyebrows and upturned lips.

"What about chips? Potato salad? Soda? Beer? Other alcoholic beverages?" Nadia slid her input in as she strolled over to the television and turned it on, Weiss abandoning Vaughn to the rest of the cleaning as he hauled himself over the back of the couch and beside the laughing sister.

"Cop out!" Michael yelled from the kitchen as Syd took Eric's spot at the sink. They rinsed a few plates together, their fingers occasionally brushing during a hand off, Vaughn smirking as he moved and pulled her back to his chest.

"So much for that weekend alone."

"Well…it won't be too bad. We can invite some of your hockey pals."

"Still…time alone would have been wonderful." His voice went slightly lower, more seductive, as his scratchy chin rubbed along her shoulder above her shirt.

"You didn't shave…" she commented and turned in his arms, her soapy and wet hands leaving transparent marks on the back of his shirt over his shoulder blades.

"You just notice?"

"Well…no, but I didn't think I'd comment in front of Weiss and my sister." She giggled and made a move to turn around, but his hands fastening around her waist hampered her range of motion.

"We should finish the dishes…" her voice was a whisper, the air brushing across his face as he tossed her his customary lopsided grin as he lowered his lips to hers.

She sighed, opening her mouth to his waiting tongue, feeling him enter slowly and languidly. They caressed tongues for a moment before pulling apart and setting their foreheads together.

"Awwwww…." Mixed feminine and masculine voices reached the fog in their ears as they turned to see Weiss and Nadia both kneeling backwards on the sofa, their hands folded neatly under their chins as if they were watching a puppet show rather than an intimate kiss between lovers.

They laughed and pulled apart, finishing the dishes and joining the couple on the couch.

"Well, we should go shopping for the stuff for tomorrow." Syd suggested as she rummaged around the living room for her purse, finding her shoes next to the door on the mat.

"I'll come." Vaughn jumped back up, sliding into his sneakers as neither Nadia nor Weiss wavered from their spots in front of the television.

"You guys coming?"

"We trust your judgment."

"Whatever, as long as it isn't tofu." Weiss made a face as Vaughn grabbed his keys, pushing Syd through the door.

* * *

-Jean 


	7. Chapter 7: Shopping

Chapter 7: Shopping

* * *

"Okay, here we go. We need…" Sydney's sentence wandered off as Vaughn pulled out the cart and stood next to her, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"Yes?"

"We neeeeeeeeed…"

Vaughn sighed, knowing she was making a mental list while staring at a quick sketch she wrote up in the car. He leaned against the handle of the cart with a loving smirk on his face while watching the light bulb go on behind her dancing eyes.

"Look, why don't we just go down each aisle and then grab things we think we'll need." He suggested, and she turned to look at him.

"Well…I was going to suggest splitting up to get the most done quickly…"

"What's your hurry? We'll probably just walk in on Eric and Nadi making out on the couch anyway…blech." Vaughn fake a shudder as he stood tall, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her toward the back end of the market.

"I like your idea better anyway." She grinned, placing a kiss to his stubbly cheek as they wandered into the produce section.

"Must have taken a wrong turn…" Vaughn tried, but she'd already made her way to the fruit section.

"Sorry sweetie, we're having a fruit salad as well. Can you find me ten nice apples? Fuji or Gala, if they're fresh."

She laughed as he grumbled something akin to 'you can't grill a fruit' and picked through the fruits and vegetables, having everything save for the apples that Vaughn went in search of nearly five minutes ago.

"Vaughn?" She asked over her shoulder, seeing him standing at the cart, leaning with folded arms over the hand rest once more, staring at her with devoted green eyes. "What's up?" She asked with a curious smirk.

"Nothing."

"No, something's up. I know you too well. What did you do?" She squinted a bit, trying to read his face for any other little tidbit of information, but his demeanor gave nothing away.

"I like this."

"You like this? Shopping for fruit?"

"No…just shopping. I realized we've never actually been this domestic." He smiled as they continued out of the produce section, making their way toward the meat area.

"Here we go…the man's department." He puffed out his chest and parked the cart. She reached out, smacking him lightly above his sternum causing the air he held in to fly out with a whoosh.

"Oh ya, macho."

"Shut up. Why don't you go find some chips? I may be here for a while…" he grinned with a wiggle of his eyebrows as his gaze turned from her to the various slabs of dead animals wrapped tightly with styrofoam.

"You gonna to be okay by yourself little guy?" She asked in a motherly tone, making the attendant behind the counter grin as he patiently waited for Vaughn to give his attention his way.

Vaughn glared at her as she blew him a kiss and a wink before turning and heading off in search of chips.

"Newly weds?" The attendant asked as Vaughn graced him with a small smile.

"Not quite." He laughed, ending the conversation there and moving the topic over to grillable items.

While he picked out several pounds of various meats, Syd made her way to the chip aisle and picked up a few backs for the guys, snagging two large bags of SmartFood Popcorn for herself and Nadia.

She met up with Vaughn as he headed toward her, a light smile on his face.

"You happy you got your dead animals, baby?"

"Absolutely." He grinned and pulled her close, setting a kiss to her lips before pulling back.

"We need dip for the chips, but I didn't have enough hands. Oh…and cheese for the burgers."

"Copy that, Mountaineer, dip and cheese." He pretended to talk into his ear as she yanked his arm away from his head with a scolding smile.

"Don't do that. Does the phrase covert mean anything to you?"

"Nope." He laughed and pulled her toward the dairy section at the other end of the store. They passed the card aisle and Sydney stopped, setting a small hand to his arm.

"I'm going to grab a get well card for Dixon." She turned back as Vaughn nodded, moving by her. Passing the floral department, and a small bucket containing short stemmed roses, he read the sign. After stopping interest.

'$2.00/rose.' He grinned, glancing back to the card section and making sure she wasn't walking his way. Pulling his wallet out quickly, he handed two dollars to a surprised clerk and lifted up a rose as Sydney rounded the corner. Panicking, he opened his jacket and slid the stem into the inside pocket as the flower attendant chuckled.

"You find any dip?" Syd asked lightly, gazing one final time at the card before setting it into the envelope and on the seat in the front of the cart, seeing a strange, somewhat surprised look on his face.

"Nope…you may have to take a look. I don't know what everyone likes." His voice was slightly strained and she gave him an odd look, moving away from him after taking the cart.

He let out a pained hiss and threw open his jacket the moment she was out of sight as the clerk busted into a fit of giggles. A tiny spot of red marked the center of his left pectoral as the young woman handed him another rose.

"I'll trade you, sir. This one without thorns for the one in your pocket."

He tossed her a mock glare mixed with a smirk while taking the rose from her hand and trading before jogging to catch up with Sydney, the de-thorned flower tucked firmly back in his jacket.

* * *

A/N: Hee hee, had to poke Vaughn a bit. Literally. Well, Weiss and Nadia coming up soon guys. For those of you that don't like Neiss, you can read it or skip it. Either way, it's W/N next!

-Jean


	8. Chapter 8: While You Were Out

Chapter 8:

* * *

While You Were Out…

Weiss flipped through the channels quickly, trying to ignore the woman sitting beside him. No matter how much older he got year after year, sitting beside a young, attractive, woman wasn't an easy thing. He never knew what to do with his hands. Do they stay folded in his lap? Do they grope her maniacally? He wasn't sure, so he settled for one hand on his thigh and the other flipping at an insane speed through various cable shows.

Nadia, however, busied herself with watching the conflicting emotions flit across his face. A small grin tilted her lips before she set her hand against his bouncing knee.

"You know…we slept together last night. Why are you so nervous?"

"Nadi, we didn't….well ya. Ya we did…we slept." Weiss chuckled, letting out a pent up breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

"Want to make out until Syd and Vaughn get home?"

His head whipped around, eyes huge as she busted out laughing and set a kiss to his chin and pulling back, her hand secretly snagging the remote.

"What…how…that was sneaky. You women…are sneaky." He growled and stood, marching to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water before settling back down next to her.

"Where's mine?"

"Very sneakily still sitting in the fridge. Waiting to pounce." He grinned and popped the lid on his own and took a long swig. They sat contentedly, watching some corny movie made for television while waiting for Syd and Vaughn to get back home from the store.

"Eric, do you think things are moving too fast?"

"Nah. I've rushed into way too many relationships that burst into flames, so I'm kind of happy that we're taking it slow."

"So you're not upset that…last night we didn't…"

"Well…hurt feelings that can be soothed…" he baited, looking over at her while setting the water bottle down on the table.

"Soothed with what?"

"A kiss."

Nadia flashed him a grin. "That's it? Just a kiss?"

"Well, I believe that a lot can be said with a kiss. Look at Vaughn and Syd; they're kissey all the time and you know how often they just sit and stare at each other."

"Well, if a kiss will soothe you broken spirit…" She giggled and leaned forward, brushing a kiss across his lips before pulling back.

Weiss, however, had other plans. Wrapping around the back of her neck, he pulled her against him as his mouth crashed over hers. His other hand snuck around her middle, deftly pulling her body onto his lap. His mouth slanted over hers, deepening to kiss as Nadia sighed and sank into the welcome sensations. Eric's tongue invaded her mouth gently but fervently in an attempt to memorize every angle and part of her depths before she pulled away from him. Though, to Nadia, pulling away was the last thing on her mind. She pushed her hands up into his disheveled hair and opened her legs, straddling his waist, causing them to sink farther into the couch.

His erection was making itself known against her stomach, pushing against her and seeking the warmth she offered, and a bolt of electricity shot up and down her spine leaving tingling sensations in her arms and legs. The broke apart for some much needed oxygen as his tongue traced a pattern along her jugular and his teeth nipped at the erratic pulse point.

Her moans spurred him on as he ground his hardness against her taut stomach and his hands made their way up the back of her shirt to toy with the soft skin of her lower back and sides.

Laughing at the doorway broke the blissful haze as they snapped apart to see both Syd and Vaughn standing at the doorway watching with amused faces and unrelenting giggles.

"And you complain when you catch us doing something like that." Syd grumbled with glee as she gestured out the open front door. "We could use a hand…if yours aren't too busy that is." She laughed as Vaughn placed the bags he was carrying onto the counter and making his way back outside without a glace toward the couple on the couch with Nadia still being firmly held in Weiss' lap.

"We need to get up before they make any more jokes." Nadia laughed, her voice slightly breathless and raspy, her cheeks rosy from the sheer embarrassment of getting caught as well as the excitement still soaring through her veins and pooling at her center.

"No…god…please don't get up." Weiss groaned, his grip on Nadia's waist tightening, fingers gripping the soft flesh underneath her shirt.

"Sorry, sweetie." She stood up, eyes widening as she looked at the evidence of arousal Eric was trying to desperately hide from the other occupants of the house as they made their way back and forth, arms laden with bags each time.

She cleared her throat before reaching a hand out to help him up. Quickly shoving him in the direction of the bathroom, she whispered cold shower in his ear with a laugh and went to help Syd and Vaughn carry in the rest of the groceries.

"Did you buy the whole freaking store?" Weiss grumbled as they all stood in the kitchen and emptied the plastic bags, placing the food in each respective cabinet or into the overstuffed fridge and freezer.

Syd just laughed as they finished, the smile leaving her face as all four of their cell phones went off simultaneously.

"Dammit." They all growled, Sydney picking hers up and answering as the others just pushed ignore and listening to the one sided conversation.

"Hello?"

"Sydney, we need you and the others in immediately. Where are they?" Jack's voice questioned in her ear as she mouthed 'my father' to the attentive group.

"We're all here, I'll relay the message. We'll be there soon."

"Awwwww come on! This is our weekend off!"

"Crime never sleeps, Weiss. Sorry." Syd sighed, grabbing her jacket as they made their way to APO.

"This is Evan and Ryan Anderson." Sloane's voice echoed around the closed meeting room in the center of APO's headquarters.

"Wait, the known money launderers?" Syd asked, getting a nod in return.

"Correct. Though, over the past five years, they've branched out. This warehouse, located in Kirov Russia, has just been added as an asset to their already impressive list of holdings."

"Wait. Anderson; it doesn't seem to me like a Russian name." Weiss interjected, seeing the apparent familiarity Dixon, Sydney, Sloane and Jack had with the criminals mentioned.

Sloane shook his head, hitting one of the many buttons on the remote he was holding as another image flashed across the screen in front of the team. "They're originally from London. They travel the world and own far too many offshore accounts to number. These are the people behind the people in charge of crime syndicates." Sydney explained as Jack took over.

"Lately, their interest has been in various different…parts shall we say, of an unknown what we assume to be a weapon. We believe they've successfully acquired the items needed to build this…device, in Russia."

"What kind of weapon?" Vaughn interceded as Marshall raised his hand, an impish look on his face.

"If I may, Mr. Sloane." At the nod, the techie continued. "Well, looking at the parts that we have on record, it would take an insane amount of energy to make this thing work. Like…seriously insane…something you can only get from a nuclear power plant, which is what they've managed to get a hold of."

"I thought they just purchased a warehouse. That doesn't seem like a nuclear plant at all." Nadia commented, not looking up as she flipped through the manila folder full of papers and pictures.

Marshall just smiled. "Well put, Ms. Santos. You see this building and this plant have nothing in common when they're on a map like this. I mean…nothing at all in common. Sort of like…like the opposite of peas in a pod…like…well…you get the point. Yet, when we tasked a satellite with GPR, er…ground penetrating radar, this is what we found." Marshall typed something in on the keyboard before him and another image popped up.

"Are those…tunnels?"

"Yep. Tunnels leading from the warehouse all the way into a sub level entrance to the nuclear plant. Ingenious huh?"

"We are devising an op right now. Sydney and Nadia will inspect both the warehouse and the plant; you two will be on point. Vaughn and Marshall will be assisting over comms at a safe house in Moscow. Now, you'll each be going in with advanced tactical gear, night vision, the whole nine. Nadia, you'll inspect the warehouse and, depending on what you find, will head to this meeting point and wait for Sydney. If she calls for assistance, then and only then are you to take the tunnels into the power plant." Sloan spoke, nodding to Jack.

He stood, looking back and forth between the agents. "This is a very risky operation. The landing strip we're going to go in and out of is abandoned, but monitored every three hours. Once you land transportation will be hidden in the woods approximately a half mile from the runway. Maps have been place inside the glove compartment, and further instructions will be located in specific packages for each team. You will then have one hour minutes to infiltrate both the warehouse and the plant then returning to the airfield before the Russians check the strip. Regardless…if an agent does not return to the plane within the allotted time…they will need to return to the safe house in Russia and wait for further instructions."

"Wait. So…if…if Syd and Nadia don't make it back…we leave without them?"

"This isn't a CIA operation, Weiss, this is black ops. We cannot afford to be revealed by the Russian government. They will be left, but not without a somewhere to go. The safe house in Moscow is as good a place as any for an asset to wait for another flight." Sloan slid in his input as the three agents looked back and forth.

"Wheels up in one hour."

* * *

A/N: Trust me, there WILL be a bar-be-queue, I promise! I just want some action first. And a surprising turn of events.

-Jean


	9. Chapter 9: Mission Part 1

Chapter 9: Mission Part 1

(Mature Content)

* * *

"Vaughn…you want to talk man?" Eric asked quietly, but Vaughn only grunted in response. The boys sat together on one side of the plane silently, Vaughn staring intently out the window in the darkening sky while the girls sat on the opposite side and reviewed the mission. 

Vaughn's mind was still reeling from the argument he and Sydney got into while returning to the apartment to grab a change of clothes and a couple other things for the trip.

"_Syd…this mission is…wrong."_

"Why? It's not like we've never infiltrated a plant before."

"_Because your backup – me, is going to be nearly three hundred miles away, and we have orders that if you're not at the airfield when we arrive, we leave you behind." He sat on the bed with a huff as Syd looked over at him from her dresser._

"_Come on, we've been through worse. Would you rather be on comms here in L.A.? We've got photos that show there's minimal surveillance by guards over the weekend, and nearly all of the security is taken care of by three men in an upstairs room. As long as I can disable the cameras we're on easy street." She walked past him several times and he finally grabbed her hand __to pull her to him, his head resting on her stomach._

"I just don't think it's a good idea. I mean…if something like Cuba happens again…"

"_I can take care of myself, Vaughn."_

"_Apparently not very well." He regretted the words the moment they came out, hoping she wouldn't take them the wrong way._

"_Excuse me?" She pulled away, her fingers stopping mid-stroke in his hair as she forced him to look up at her._

"_I didn't mean it in a negative way, Syd. Everyone needs someone to make sure they're all right sometimes."_

"_Well. Where were you last year when I needed to hear __**that**__?" She asked with a sarcastic growl and began stuffing her things into a small duffel bag._

"_Sydney…that's a low blow."_

"_You think because of one troubled mission that now I'm unable to take care of myself?"_

"_I didn't say that. Don't get mad."_

"_Too late." She snarled, Vaughn standing to join the fight._

"Look, it's not irrational for me to be worried about you!" He all but shouted as Sydney remembered the meeting with her father when she herself had yelled that same exact line.

"_No, but not at the expense of sheltering me from my job. This is my job, Vaughn, and you may not think so but I'm pretty damn good at watching my own back. I did it alone last year…" she left the sentence off and picked up her bag before walking from the room._

"_Dammit, Sydney, don't walk away from me. You asked my opinion and you got it. Okay? Yes. Yes, I think this mission is too dangerous for you to do alone. Yes, I believe you should break in to each facility together using each other as back up. Pardon me for thinking about this rationally, but there is absolutely no reason you have to drudge up my marriage with Lauren for your own benefit. You weren't the only one hurt by that." He picked up his own suitcase as Nadia and Weiss stood in the kitchen trying desperately to ignore the couple arguing in the middle of the living room._

"_No, Vaughn, you were hurt in the end, after months of forcing me to put up with your relationship with a woman you couldn't see through. Not my fault." A boulder seemed to land heavy in his stomach as he looked at the regret, yet determined anger, in Sydney's eyes as she finally spoke her aggression to him about his year-long relationship with Lauren._

_Weiss' water bottle was poised half-way to his lips, a look of shock etched on his face as Nadia stared at the floor._

"_I cannot believe you just said that." Vaughn growled in a low voice filled with barely contained anger._

"_Look, I'm sorry…" she started, back peddling quickly as she tried to keep the argument to a minimum._

"_No, just stop. You try having your heart ripped out and let's see the levelheaded decisions you make." Stalking to the door he threw it open before storming out, slamming his fist into the beautiful brick siding before waiting for the others against the car, Nadia setting a gentle hand to her sister's arm._

"_Let's go." Syd growled, pulling away, walking into the night._

His anger had dissipated slightly, though he knew it was just boiling beneath the surface and was going to need to be released soon.

"You should really get some ice for your hand." Weiss's words cut through his concentration, putting his mind back on the dull throb of his knuckles. "You shouldn't have punched the bricks dude."

"Well…I was pissed off." He growled and stood, making his way to the back of the plane in search of painkillers and an ice bag.

Syd watched him walk away, sighing she set down the file and stood, following him after a couple minutes of deliberation between her mind and her heart.

"Dammit…" she heard him mutter as he looked desperately for something to soothe his hand.

Silently, she opened the door to the bathroom and pulled out a First Aid kit. Retrieving the cold pack, she broke the seal inside and felt it cool instantly in the palm of her hand. Moving back into the bathroom, she wet a cloth and looked out the small door to see him watching her with emotion filled eyes. Anger, remorse, sadness and love swirled inside his jaded green eyes as she stretched her hand over to him, leaving the ball in his court.

Looking down, he nodded and took her slender fingers, following her into the confined bathroom. Wordlessly, she dabbed at his knuckles with a wet washcloth, cleaning away the crusted blood clinging to the scraped skin as he winced slightly. After it was clean, she brought his hand up to her mouth placing a gentle kiss above the bruised flesh before setting a band-aid above the largest cut. Lifting the ice pack she set it against his hand, cupping the cold pack and his hand between her own.

"I'm sorry." She spoke after a while, her eyes fixed at the center of his chest.

"Me too." He smiled lightly, relief washing through his body in waves, alleviating some of the pain her comments had caused.

She started to say more, but was stopped by his finger against her lips. He leaned forward, kissing her gently. Her hands left his, fingers cold as they wrapped around his neck holding them closer together. Her mouth opened under his inviting tongue, and he delved in without a second thought. Dropping the soothing cold pack, Vaughn's hands moved to her waist as he picked her up and set her on the small counter.

His lips trailed her jaw line back to her ear and he nipped gently at the lobe before sucking it into his mouth. Her breathy groan shot blood straight to his groin as he pressed his body against hers, her legs opening to let him in as he pushed into her stomach. She wrapped her calves around the back of his thighs, forcing Vaughn's growing erection into her abdomen and causing them each to groan in anticipation.

Without a second thought, his hand left her body once to slam the bathroom door closed, effectively silencing the laughter coming from the fuselage where Weiss and Nadia were listening intently at the moans wafting from the jets tiny bathroom.

Vaughn's lips tilted into a smirk as he heard Weiss tap on the door using his best 'house keeping' voice until Michael became fed up with the constant tapping. Throwing the door open, he left Syd in a rush as Eric's eyes took in the scene of the disheveled and panting couple.

"Can we help you?" Making no move to cover the large bulge in his trousers, the flush on his cheeks, or the frustration from his eyes, he kept one hand firmly at the top of Sydney's thigh while using the other for support against the frame of the door.

"Nope. Was wondering if you found that ice pack." Eric stuttered, trying to keep his mind from wandering to the gutter. Though, on the walk toward the bathroom - ignoring Nadia's warnings - it was already more than halfway gutterbound. "Oh…here it is." He reached down and picked it up; closing the door as if he hadn't barged in.

"Damn him." Vaughn growled as Sydney grabbed the front of his jacket, yanking him back into the circle of her thighs.

"Where were we?" She asked, her tongue tracing the edge of his ear before mimicking the move he had made with her own lobe.

"No time for this." He growled, reaching up and quickly undoing the button and zipper of her slacks. She pushed her hips up, allowing him to slide the fabric as well as her underwear down to her knees, her own hands fumbling with his belt. Her movements were stilted as two of his fingers dove into her folds, causing her to gasp and him to groan in eagerness as he felt her wet center.

She managed to disengage the buckle before he grew too impatient and released her to do it himself. Unzipping quickly, her hands pushed his pants and boxers away pulling her to him by her legs before quickly impaling her body onto his waiting cock. Sydney gasped, her head falling back with a thud on the mirror while Vaughn's fell to her shoulder. Sweat broke out on their bodies as he pulled back half way and thrust hard into her once more. They knew they wouldn't last long, so Sydney concentrated all of her energy on contracting her muscles around his pumping shaft as Vaughn's fingers fell to rub her clit. Three thrusts later, they exploded together, containing their grunts and cries of pleasure in each other's mouths.

After their racing hearts settled, another knock on the door brought them from their passion induced reverie.

"What?" They asked at the same time, each voice lower and raspier than their usual tones.

"We've…we've hit some turbulence and I hate to…to interrupt, but we're going to need you both back in your seats and buckled up." The co-pilot's timid voice was muffled by the closed door, but Sydney responded quickly that they would be right out.

"Well…turbulence indeed." Michael laughed as he placed a kiss against her lips as they hurriedly got dressed, making their way to their seats and ignoring the chuckles from Weiss and Nadia as they sat huddled together on their own side of the plane.

"Shut up, Eric. At least I belong to the Mile High Club." Vaughn growled as he laced his fingers through Sydney's, her face turning to look up at him with a gentle and flushed smile.

"We need to talk when this is over."

"I know. Not now…later." She promised, kissing his sweaty forehead and setting her own on his shoulder a few minutes before drifting off to sleep for the remainder of the flight.

* * *

A/N: WOO HOO! I decided to spoil you all with that bit-o-fun before the action begins. Well…a different kind of action any way. Don't worry about Weiss and Nadi, they'll get what they deserve. 

-Jean


	10. Chapter 10: Mission Part 2

A/N: I really don't like Syd's new code name, Phoenix, for this Season, so I'm reverting back to Mountaineer. Just so you all know.

Chapter 10: Mission Part 2

* * *

"I'm approaching the end of the tunnel, Evergreen." Syd spoke quietly into her ear piece as she looked back and forth down each hallway, determining that there wasn't any immediate danger, she crept silently into the foyer.

"Copy that, Mountaineer. I'm entering the main office." Nadia replied as she deftly picked the lock and opened the door.

"Evergreen, these rooms all seem to be cells. Merlin, you copy? Are you getting a reading of where Nadia and I are?"

"Copy that, we're bringing you both up on our computer now. Syd, looks like a security station has been set up on the second floor, room 1334."

"Okay, I'm on my way. You don't happen to see a changing room by any chance do you?"

"Sorry Syd…even my computer's not that advanced." Marshall chuckled into the comm as Nadia reported finding a large filing cabinet filled with documents.

"What kind of documents?" Sloan snuck in his first words of the entire mission. He, Jack, Weiss and Dixon were all seated around the large table as Marshall's computer screen flashed on one television, Vaughn's on another.

"They seem to be…adoption papers. Looks like the Andersons run an orphanage here in Kirov."

"Do you see any children?" Jack questioned, Nadia shaking her head though she knew no one would be able to see the small action.

"No, nothing. There's no one here. Records show that this building is being used as an orphanage. There are…dozens of signed papers here. Children's names, birthdates, everything. From what I can see…they own nearly sixteen kids under the age of five."

"Nadia, check around the upper floor of the building, see if you can find anyone there, child or not. Sydney, this throws a kink in our plans. How far away from the security room are you?" Jack spoke into the large phone sitting in the middle of the table.

"I'm not too far away, but there's someone coming."

Syd waited patiently for the person to walk around the corner. Fortunately for her, the nurse was burrowed in a manila folder full of papers. Sydney's fist flew around the corner, catching the young female doctor in the temple as she crumpled to the floor.

"I may have just found a way in…"

"Be careful, Syd." Vaughn instantly said, knowing that those words didn't really need to be spoken, yet he felt like he was helping if they left his mouth.

Sydney slid into the doctor's stretchy scrubs, pulling the lab coat over her black, tight, tactical outfit and buttoning it nearly all the way up. She lifted the file into her hands, carrying it with her as she made her way closer to the surveillance room. Peeking around the nearest corner, she spotted one guard standing in front of a set of large double doors marked 'TESTING'.

"I've got a single guard standing in front of double doors, Marshall. It's marked testing. Can you see anything from the satellite?" She asked in a whisper, knowing there wasn't any other way around.

She cursed loudly in Russian, causing the guard to look in her direction. Rounding the corner, she began frantically searching through the pockets of the coat as tears filled her eyes.

"What are you doing on this level? Where is your clearance badge?" The man asked in the fast language, holding his machine gun in a non-threatening pose, but enough for Sydney to recognize that he could use it deftly at any moment.

"Aie, my badge! I've misplaced it! I'll be fired for sure…they warned me to keep it close, aie!" She cried, searching through her pockets once more as she released the floodgates, hearing Vaughn chuckle over her earpiece.

"Well…look…just go to where you last saw it…" he replied, letting his guard down at the sight of a very attractive young woman crying in the hallway over a lost laminated card. "Why don't I take you to security? They will make you a new one, and we will not tell a soul." He promised, reaching a hand out to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed away a tear as he flashed a small smile.

She beamed in response, full dimples showing as she let out a thankful half sob half laugh. "Thank you so much…thank you."

"Well done, Mountaineer." Sloan congratulated in her ear, Sydney choosing to ignore the man's comments as the guard spoke about himself on the way to the security station.

"Here you are, please come in." He slid his card through the slot and punched in the code as the door unlocked and two men turned to look at him.

"What are you doing in here? Is the shift up already?"

"No, new nurse lost her badge, we'll need to make a replacement without telling Mr. Anderson. You can do that, can you not?"

"Well…we're discouraged to…but I hate to see someone so beautiful face his wrath. Probably send her to 145B. What is your name?" The young man sitting at the terminal swiveled in his chair to look at Sydney as she pulled the trigger three times. Tranquilizer darts implanted neatly into each of the men's necks caused her father to ask a worried 'are you okay' over the comms.

"I'm fine; I'm in. Marshall, I'm hooking up the remote modem. Do your thing." Sydney spoke quickly, looking at the various screens and memorizing each image and its corresponding number in the bottom right hand corner.

"Okay Mountaineer, you're go to enter the rest of the facility. All security systems are down, and we just picked up a transmission that the staff has left for the weekend. The guards you just immobilized seem to be the only ones we're getting a reading from." A smile crept across Sydney's face as she listened to the professional Vaughn over the radio, murmuring an affirmative as she picked up one of the men's handguns and made her way back into the hallway.

"Marshall, one of the men mentioned 145B. What is that? Any records from their computer system tell us what that is?"

Marshall shook his head as Vaughn kept his eyes glued to the screen in front of him, the green spot representing his Sydney, the orange dot on Marshall's screen showing Nadia's position. "Negative, Syd, sorry. It does have room numbers though, and room 145B is back down that hallway marked 'TESTING'. You'll need to grab a security officer's card in order to get into the hallway, as well as a password."

"I got the password. Watched him punch it in over his shoulder. Anything, Nadia?"

"I've got nothing here, Syd. It's like they just bought this place to build tunnels to the plant. Other than financial records with no names, and the folders of information on the children, there's nothing here."

"Bring it, return to the air strip to wait for Marshall and Vaughn. Sydney, fifteen minute warning. You have fifteen minutes to get to Nadia before she leaves." Sloan growled, the anger rising through the whole group at the knowledge that the mission was a failure.

"No way, I can't get back there in fifteen minutes. Not even if I sprint. I'm too close to the machine, let me at least get inside and take a picture of it before I go."

"How much time do you need, Mountaineer?" Dixon asked, looking at the clock they had counting down at the bottom of each computer and television screen.

"Thirty minutes…at the most."

"Negative. You return to Nadia and you both get to the airstrip."

"If this is a weapon, and they make it operational and we don't know what it is…" Syd left off, making her way back to the room where the men still lay unconscious on the floor. Taking one of the badges, she retraced her steps until she stood before the double doors. 'TESTING' in giant red letters marked the wall above, and she slid in the card. Punching in the number just as she had seen the young guard do, she light on the wall turned from red to green and a loud beeping filled the hallway. The click of the locks disengaging was her cue, and the pulled the handle of the door toward her with a grunt.

"Syd…I'm at the cars. I'm waiting ten more minutes, and then I'm going to be ordered to go." Nadia's voice crackled over the comms.

"If you need to go, you can go. I can make it to the safe house in Moscow."

"No. Absolutely not. Syd, you're coming back with us."

"Vaughn…this is not the time."

"Sydney…" his voice was near pleading as he touched the screen with the tip of his finger, waiting for her response.

"I'm sorry…but…I can't just go when we're so close. 145B. Found it." She called, changing the subject, juggling the handle and finding the door was locked. She used the card and the same password, but it was invalid.

"Marshall…it's not working." She growled, looking around and seeing an adjacent room. "There's a room across the hallway from where I'm standing. Can you see it?"

"Yep, got it on the screen. 145B seems to have an unusually high number of pipes going into it. It's got to be the room that holds the device. Remember? Peas in a pod? Remember?"

"Marshall, get to the point."

"Well, remember when I said that the weapon is going to need a ton of power? Well those…those lines are cables. That has to be the room."

Sydney walked into the adjacent room, seeing a computer terminal as she smiled lightly. "Marshall, there's a control room. I'm going to hook up the remote modem; can you get the info and corrupt their system?"

"Absolutely. We're at the airstrip, so I'll do it before boarding the plane. You see…we'll lose contact once we're airborne, so I'll make it quick."

"Vaughn?" Syd asked lightly, knowing full well that the others were listening to their conversation.

"Ya, I'm here, Syd."

"I'll see you at home. We'll have that talk." She promised, switching off the comms as Vaughn, Marshall and Nadia boarded the jet and headed back to Los Angeles.

She looked around, trying to snoop in the system to find the password to the door, but unfortunately harbored no success. Making her way from the room, she slipped out of the lab coat and scrubs, heading back down the hallway until she came across another room.

'MORGUE' was written above the door, and Sydney's curiosity became piqued. She lifted her phone, cursing that she hadn't programmed Marshall's cell number yet. Dialing Vaughn, she grumbled as he didn't answer and instead phoned APO.

"Joey's Pizza."

"Hey Weiss. I just came across a room labeled, MORGUE. Can you get my father on the phone?"

"Sure thing, Syd." Putting her on hold, he found Jack Bristow easily. "Syd's on the phone for you, Jack. Said she found a morgue in the plant."

"Sydney?"

"Dad, if we can get in and see the bodies of the test subjects, we can get a handle on what kind of weapon we're dealing with. I'm going to go in and take some pictures with my phone and then send them to you."

Jack confirmed as Sydney walked into the room. There weren't any bodies on the tables, so she moved to the pull out drawers. Yanking one out, she screamed and dropped the phone. Stumbling away from the gruesome sight laying on the cold steel, she dimly heard her father calling her name frantically over the cell phone. Lifting it slowly…she tried in vain to calm her breathing before answering.

"Dad…I…I think I know what happened to the children. That's what they're…they're testing…" she couldn't finish as she heard footsteps in the hallway and the door to the Morgue opening quickly.

* * *

A/N: I must say that I have absolutely no interest in harming children! My brother is five, and my sister is three. More will be explained! I promise!

-Jean


	11. Chapter 11: Mission Part 3

Chapter 11: Mission Part 3

* * *

Sydney jumped up as the guard charged into the room, aiming his rile at her. She managed to kick it away, but couldn't predict the elbow to the side of her left eye. Stinging pain shot through her as her vision blurred slightly, and she shook her head vigorously to try and pin-point where her assailant had gone. Rough hands grabbed her by the front of her tactical vest, hefting her off the ground and slamming her ribcage into the edge of a nearby countertop. She grunted, crying out in pain as she felt at least one of her ribs snap under the force.

She slid to the ground, watching the man above her with a dizzy expression. He pulled her up once more, and Sydney threw a right elbow into his nose before his knee connected with her stomach and injured side. Howling in pain, and spouting Russian with rage, he threw her across the room as her head connected with a glass door causing it to shatter.

"I am tired of your little game, woman." He snarled, blood seeping from his nose over his lips, trailing down his chin to drip onto the floor at her feet. Trying desperately to push herself up, she heard the sound of metal sliding over metal, looking up to see him brandishing a large hunting knife in his palm. She rolled quickly onto her back, putting her hands up defensively as she blocked the thrust of his arms. The knife came to a half mere centimeters away from her throat as the heavy guard jumped over her, putting all of his weight on the lower half of her body.

A gleam caught her eye, seeing another knife secured in the front of his vest. She let go of his arms, throwing her torso to the left as the blade met concrete, snapping away from the handle. He growled, the back of his hand coming into contact with her already swelling, bruised and bleeding cheek. His swing left him wide open, and she grabbed the knife. Before he could react, she plunged it into the side of his neck, blood covering her hands as he gurgled and collapsed next to her.

His sputtering breaths stopped after what seemed like an eternity, and she slowly forced herself into a sitting position. Her ribs were like a raging fire, squeezing every breath from her tortured lungs. She prayed that they hadn't been punctured, and rose slowly with her hand over her middle. The room spun slightly, and she held onto the counter for balance before turning and looking into a cracked mirror. A small river of blood flowed down her left temple, over the swelling lump slowly causing her eye to close millimeters at a time. A fairly good sized gash on her forehead above the hairline was to blame, and she quickly scrounged through some cabinets before finding a box of square gauze pads and some athletic tape. She bandaged it quickly, wincing as she took one last look around the room and walked with determined strides toward the door.

The hallway was empty, apparently only that single guard had been making his rounds through this half of the facility. Muffled sobs caught her attention and she flattened herself against the wall behind her, eyes darting maniacally back and forth in search of danger, though none seemed to present itself. With a frown, she followed the noises until the came to a room marked PATIENTS 15-16. She opened the wooden slat of the hidden window, peering into the dark room. She gasped when her eyes took in the sight of two small children bound together in the center of the room.

Pulling out the access card with shaking hands, she threw the door open quickly. One of them squinted at the harsh light from the hallway, trying desperately to pull away from the person entering the room.

"Shh…it's okay I'm here to help. My name is Sydney; I'm going to take you away from this place." She crooned with a light voice as she untied their bound hands. The child opposite from the smaller, whimpering toddler slumped to the ground, and tears sprung to her eyes knowing she was too late for him. The moment the small child was untied, he scooted away from the intruder and into the corner of the cell.

"No…don't hurt me…" he cried, tears streaming down his bruised cheeks as he waited for Sydney to punish him for crying openly.

Sydney picked the unmoving child off of the floor and set him on the single cot on the other side of the room. Her side protested vehemently, but she completed the process nonetheless. Picking up the single soiled and tattered blanket, she covered his small body from head to toe and turned to look at the crying little boy crouched in a corner. She sat on the cold hard floor, cross-legged, in an attempt to look unthreatening.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I want to take you away from here."

"Mad People live here…" he sobbed, and Sydney's heart broke for the young, defeated child.

"I know. That's why I came to get you. I'm going to take you away from the Mad People, I promise. But you need to come with me; you need to trust me. See? They hurt me too." Sydney pulled the small flashlight from her pocket, showing him the swelling bruise on the side of her head and the dried blood on her cheek.

Slowly, the toddler crawled from his corner and Sydney reached out a gentle hand to him. She patiently waited until he was close enough to touch her, but she made no move to hurry his actions. Timidly, his fingers brushed hers and he jumped back, waiting for her to strike him. When no such action came, he opened his eyes and saw her gentle smile, sobbing before throwing himself into her arms. His willowy arms wrapped tightly around her neck as he buried his face into her throat. She groaned quietly, her side taking the brunt of his actions, but she still whispered soothing words to the little boy before pushing him away. He reached out to her once more, but she told him to be patient and stood, grabbing the wall for purchase until she reached out to take his hand in hers.

"Follow me, okay? You need to stay right next to me. If something happens, I need you to run and hide, and not come out for anyone unless you hear my voice."

He nodded in compliance, his small hand gripping her pinky as she opened the door of the cell and checked the hallway before pulling him out to join her. She was still a bit disoriented, and fairly sure that it would take a little longer to find the entrance to the tunnel due to the fact that she more than likely had a concussion, but this little boy clutching her hand kept her grounded. If anything, she had to get him out; give him a life and a chance to start over with a loving family.

Thirty minutes later, she finally found a hallway that looked familiar. "Wait here…" she ordered quietly, seeing him nod as she went to walk away.

"No, no, no…." he whimpered, reaching frantically for her hand as he tried to stop her from leaving him.

"I'm not going to leave you here. I promised, and I never break a promise. I need to see if this is the way we should go okay?" At his reluctant nod, he slid down the wall and pulled his legs up tight against his chest. He hid his small face in his knees and Sydney made her way around the corner to peer into the window of the security room. All three guards were still knocked out on the floor, but she knew they would wake soon. She turned back around, seeing him crumpled on the floor. Running a comforting hand through his hair, he looked up at her with brilliant green eyes and a worried expression.

"Let's go." He took her pinky once more, and she led him out of the hallway, through the passages until they reached the tunnel's entrance ten minutes later. He began to lag behind, telling her that he was tired so, contrary to the pain from her rib cage, she picked him up and told him to stand on a pipe jutting out a few feet from the ground. As he stood on shaky, twig-thin legs, she turned her back to him and he jumped on. His hands wrapped instantly around her shoulders, hanging on as he swung his legs around her waist.

Her side protested, but she reminded herself that all she had to do was get through the tunnel, then to the side entrance of the warehouse, and finally into the Jeep hidden fifty feet away in the trees of the surrounding forest. She chuckled quietly, beginning the trek.

She had been sitting in the car, pouring over maps for fifteen minutes until she decided on the best route to take to get to Moscow. Navigating through the side streets and off-roading most of the trip wasn't going to be pleasant. Her breathing was labored as she gulped down the rest of one of the many bottles of water stored in a survival kit from the trunk, taking four Advil® along with it. The little boy was asleep in the front seat, his head on the arm rest and his fingers still clinging to the pinky of her left hand. She smiled gently, knowing that even if they managed to get little or no information on the weapon and the location of the Anderson's, she saved this child's life. That was enough for her.

She jumped when her cell phone rang, and she fumbled around the pockets of her discarded vest until she found it.

"Hello?"

"Baby…I can't believe you made me leave you behind. I'm dieing here…are you okay? Have you made it to the safe house yet?" Vaughn's worried voice cracked her vigil resolve, and she sobbed into the phone. "Sydney? Please…don't cry. Tell me what happened. Are you all right?"

"Vaughn...the children; they…"

"I know, Syd, I talked to Jack. He said you hadn't checked in for nearly two hours after hanging up on him from the morgue."

"I got out just fine. A couple broken ribs, probably in need of a few stitches and a definite concussion, but I'm alive. And I've got cargo."

"What kind of cargo?"

"The small-version-of-an-adult kind of cargo. He was the only one alive that I could find, so I managed to get him out with me. He hasn't said much…I don't know his name or his age, but I'm assuming he's around four years old." Sydney looked down at the sleeping child, her foggy mind trying to remember the number on the door of his cell.

"Did Nadia bring all of the adoption papers from the warehouse?"

"Ya she did."

"Let me talk to her."

"Okay...but…but don't hang up. I want to talk to you when you're done." She could hear the desperation in his voice and promised she wouldn't end the phone call after speaking with Nadia. She heard shuffling around on Vaughn's side, and after a few moments of silence her sister's voice came through the cell.

"Sydney, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Listen, I need you to look up one of the files on the children. I found one of them still alive, and it's either Numbers Fifteen or Sixteen. The two children were together, but one had…had already died. I need the basic information on the second."

"Okay…give me a minute and let me grab the files. Vaughn told me what Jack said…were they really testing it on children?"

"Yea…" Syd's voice was quiet and pained, and she sighed while waiting for Nadia to find the information she'd asked for.

"Well, Number Fifteen was six years old with dark black hair."

"Not him. The one sitting next to me has sandy brown hair and green eyes. He looks to be around four and a half or so…"

"Number Sixteen. His name is Daniel R-I-E-N, pronounced Ryan. Aged four and a half. You know what? He looks a lot like a little Vaughn in my eyes." Sydney could hear Nadia's smile and laughed lightly.

"Well, I'm going to take him to the safe house with me. Let me talk to Vaughn, and I'll see you when I get home."

"Take care, Syd, come home in one piece."

She waited quietly, her fingers absently running through Little Daniel's hair as Vaughn called her name over the phone.

"Here's what's going to happen. I've got a contact in Moscow. I'm going to arrange to have him at the safe house by the time you get there. He's a doctor, certified Red Cross, the whole works, so he's going to bandage you both up. He'll have two passports waiting for you; we're hooking up Marshall's computer and scanning in the picture of Daniel to make him one as well. Tomorrow he'll take you to the airport; you'll be under the aliases of Sydney and Daniel Vaughn, returning from a visit to a sick family member in Moscow."

"Vaughn…I doubt I can pass myself off as a good mother. We're both covered in bruises, people are going to question."

"Just…just say you were in a car accident and had to leave three days early. I'll be waiting for you at L.A.X."

"You don't have to…"

"I want to." He cut her off, before quieting his voice.

"Vaughn…how do we know this source is reliable?"

"He's my cousin, Maurice. He purchased a summer home in Moscow, so I know he'll be there. Believe me, he's reliable. Besides, he owes me a favor. You just head to the safe house and call me when you get there. No matter what time it is, you call me. I need to know that you're all right."

"I promise. I love you Vaughn…you know that right?"

"Yea…I love you too. I'll talk to you soon. Drive safe."

With that, the conversation ended and she started the engine, pulling away from the warehouse and heading back to the road that would lead her toward Moscow.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12: The Safty's On

Chapter 12: The Safety's On…

* * *

Sydney woke to a knock on the thick wooden door. She sat up quickly, not realizing that she'd fallen asleep as she maintained a vigilant watch beside the boy sleeping on the large bed. She'd talked to Vaughn for nearly three hours until he'd drifted to sleep mid-flight, leaving her with just the sound of his breathing and of Marshall talking lightly with Nadia about Mitchell and Carrie.

The knock came again, more forceful this time as she cleared her throat in order to find her voice.

"Password?" was the single word she called out, standing shakily on two noodle-like legs, aiming the gun at the door.

"White Dove."

She opened it slowly, keeping her weapon trained. As soon as she saw the man standing on the other side of the door, she knew he was Maurice. His green-blue eyes shone, and his chiseled cheek-bones were evidence of the Vaughn side of the family.

"Please, don't shoot. Michel sent me here, I trust he told you?" His hands were up, though laughter and kindness shone in his eyes, his French accent coming through though he spoke English quite well.

"Yes, please…come in. Ignore the rude welcome, but you can never be too paranoid." Sydney smiled lightly, lowering her arm as Maurice entered the small house.

"Well…I don't believe you would have damaged me much with that weapon, Agent Bristow." He chuckled, seeing the shocked look on her face. "The safety's on."

She chuckled, following him in as he set down the bags he was carrying. "This one is medical equipment; the other is fresh clothes for you. Come here; let me see your head. You weren't sleeping were you?"

"I dozed off, but completely by accident." She rolled her eyes at the disappointed click of his tongue, sitting in front of him as he removed the nearly soaked bandage from the side of her head. "I know how dangerous it is to sleep with a concussion, but your cousin fell asleep over the phone after he promised to keep me awake. Blame, Vaughn." She grinned, seeing his eyes soften at the mention of Michael's name.

"So you're Sydney. I can see why Michel talks so highly of you." He winced as he looked at the cut, seeing more blood come out of the wound despite the pressure he was keeping to the area. "Well…I will need to stitch you up. It's a nasty cut. How did you get it?"

"Car accident." She answered, telling him with her eyes that she couldn't tell him the truth, movement from the doorway of the bedroom catching her attention.

Daniel's frightened green eyes met her soothing brown ones, and he clutched the blanket around his shoulders to keep warm. He stumbled once or twice while making his way to Sydney's side, seeing Maurice pull out the needle and thread.

"It's okay, Daniel, he's a friend. He's going to make sure we're both healthy." She promised, seeing the fear shimmering in his eyes. Even though Maurice was dressed in every day clothes, she knew he recognized a doctor when he saw one.

He stitched her up quickly, giving her pain medication and checking her pupils for the obvious signs of a concussion.

"Well, no sleep for you today. I apologize, but I will be here to make sure you don't doze. Do you think I could take a look at this young man?" Maurice asked, pulling away and seeing Daniel climb instantly into Sydney's lap.

"Not right now. I'd like to get some food into his stomach, something light, and plenty of fluids. He seems to be just malnourished and dehydrated. I think I'll run a bath for him and clean him up a bit. Did Vaughn tell you to grab clothes for him as well?"

"Yes, they're in the bag. My son is five, so they may be a little big. I didn't exactly have time to shop for both of you. You are about the same size as my wife, so she was happy to lend some of her outfits as well. You go take care of him, and I will start breakfast. How does that sound?" The Frenchman asked the little boy, seeing him shy away and tuck his face farther into Sydney's throat.

She rubbed his back lightly and stood, Maurice catching the wince that marred her face.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Ribs. I think I may have broken a couple…but not now. It's not too serious so I'm going to take care of Daniel first." She commented, seeing the disapproving look on Maurice's usually soft features.

"After breakfast then, but I will be taking a look."

She carried the little boy into the room after grabbing the paper bag full of clothes, and set him on the downy bed. He still clung to her, and she could see his obvious lack of trust for the man in the other room. His eyes kept darting between her and the door, waiting for the doctor to come back in to hurt them.

"Do you trust me?" She asked lightly, seeing Daniel turn his green eyes up at her. He nodded quickly, and she kissed his forehead. "I'm going to take care of you, but I'm not gonna lie. That's Maurice and he's a friend. He's going to take a look at you later, just to make sure that you're not too badly hurt, but we'll worry about that when it happens, okay? Come on…let's get you cleaned up."

She walked toward the bathroom gingerly, running the water until it was warm and turned around to see him standing behind her. "Come on, into the tub. We need to get you all washed up for breakfast." She quickly removed his tattered and stained clothes, wincing at the sight of the many bruises that littered his tiny body. Picking him up and setting him into the water, she saw him look around in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

He didn't reply, only looking up at her as she found a washcloth in a nearby cabinet and applied a liberal amount of soap. Rubbing it together over both hands, suds began slipping through her fingers as she stopped the water when it got to his stomach. She washed him gently but thoroughly, mentally taking notes of his more serious injuries so Maurice's inspection could go quickly and smoothly without causing too much trauma for the child.

When she was finished, she began to let the water out but Daniel stopped her. She looked down at him in question, seeing his eyes not focused on her but behind her on the counter. She turned, seeing a small plastic duck sitting, mostly for show, next to the sink. She smiled lightly, reaching over for it and handing it to the little boy. She ran some more water, taking the shampoo and squirting some into the flow, causing a myriad of bubbles to emerge at his feet. A small smile played on his lips as he set the duckie on the water, watching it float.

"You play for a little while, and I'll be right back. I'm going to leave the door open, so you yell if you need me." She stood after turning off the water, making her way to the door before she heard his tiny voice for the first time that day.

"Thanks, Sydney."

She smiled with a wink and left the room to join Maurice in the kitchen. The smell of breakfast made her stomach growl loudly, knowing that it would probably do the same for little Daniel. She sank into a kitchen chair with a sigh, the pain medication kicking in and alleviating some of the aggravation of her body.

"No sleeping, young lady." His voice was jesting, and she turned gracing him with a thankful smile.

"We need to talk about the plan."

"We need to look at your ribs." He reminded, setting a lid over the skillet then washing his hands quickly in the sink. Drying them with a towel, he grabbed his doctor's kit once more, placing a stethoscope around his neck. "Take your shirt off…you wearing anything underneath?" his questions was followed by a slight blush as Sydney nodded, lifting the dirty tank-top over her head and tossing it aside as she sat clad in a pair of black cargo pants and her bra.

Maurice winced at the purple-black area around the upper part of her left side, knowing instantly that one, if not two, ribs were indeed broken. After some prodding and pained groans from Sydney, he declared that it was just two fractured ribs, nothing incredibly serious, though she should have an x-ray done when they got to L.A. Taking out a rib wrap from his bag, he secured it tightly around her torso.

"Wear it for a week non-stop, don't take it off except for bathing, and you're ribs will heal faster. It will also make it easier to breath." He explained, and she nodded.

"I'm going to check on Daniel. Is breakfast ready?"

"Almost, it'll be on the table by the time you both get back. Change your clothes, I won't start without you." He smiled and watched her walk away, lifting his cell phone to check the flight information and to call his cousin.

Sydney walked back into the bathroom, seeing Daniel holding the duck in one hand and bubbles in the other. He didn't seem to be playing, merely sitting and watching with curious green eyes and an inquisitive smile on his small face. Tiny dimples made themselves known on his right cheek, and she flashed her own while grabbing the clothes from the other room.

She walked in and let out the water, rinsing him one last time before pulling the fresh clothes over his frail body - having to work around the duck that he held on to.

"Can you sit with Maurice while I wash up too?" She asked, seeing fear flicker in his jade depths. "Okay, you don't have to. Why don't you and Duckie cuddle up on the bed, and we'll go eat together when I'm done?" She suggested, seeing him nod and scoot up higher on the bed with the duck still firmly held in his small hands before grabbing clothes out of the bag. She went into the bathroom, closing the door save for a small crack as she turned on the shower. Undressing quickly, she removed the rib wrap, pain shooting through her. It really had been much more comfortable with it on, and she vowed to make it a very quick shower.

She washed her hair first then the rest of her body, mindful of the bruises and the stitches. Standing under the hot stream for a few more minutes, she sighed as her mind raced through everything that had happened in the last few days. Everything was going so well…at first, but now it seemed to flip-flop. The scenario hadn't changed too much. Once she got back to L.A., she knew that Daniel would be taken to APO headquarters before rushed off to another facility. Possibly even Langley, and to her that was painful. Not just because she was growing attached to the little boy, though that was a small piece of it, merely because she could see how much he relied on her.

Shutting her mind off with the cooling water, she stepped from the shower and dried, securing the rib wrap around her torso once more before changing into the clothes Maurice had supplied them with. Finding a brush in one of the drawers, she ran it through her hair, wincing at the more tender areas next to the stitches standing out proudly, much more visible with her hair pulled away from her forehead.

She walked back into the room, seeing Daniel obediently resting against the headboard, eyes focused on the bathroom as he waited for her to return, his duck firmly cuddled to his chest. She smiled, reaching a hand out to him and leading the way with his fingers wrapped securely around her pinky. The smell of sausage, bacon, toast and freshly squeezed orange juice assailed her senses as she helped Daniel into the chair beside her before taking a seat. She thanked Maurice and served both herself and the little boy.

"For me?" He asked with a whisper, glancing over at the man across the table while reaching out once more and finding her pinky.

"Yes, sweetie, for you. Do you need any help?" She asked lightly, seeing him shake his head and pick up a piece of toast she'd cut for him. He nibbled gently, though his appetite soon took hold. Before her eyes she saw him belly up and eat nearly three plates full of scrambled eggs and toast, keeping the food light so it wouldn't upset his stomach.

"I talked to Michel while you were showering; he says that the plans are still set. Your flight leaves in one hour and I am to escort you to the aircraft myself. I've got your passports in the car, and suitcases filled to make it look like you were traveling. My wife also sent makeup after I told her you'd been in some sort of an accident. Michel said you may be bruised, so she packed a few things you might need."

"Thank you so much, I…I don't know how we'll make this up to you."

"You do not need to. Michel is family, and you are very special to him. That makes you one of us, and we never let one of our own dangle." He smiled, clearing away the plates as Daniel tugged on the hand he held throughout the entire meal.

"Sydney, me too?" She looked down at him with questioning eyes, seeing a hidden anxiety in his green depths.

"Of course you're coming, Daniel. I promised I wouldn't leave you behind, didn't I?" At his nod, she helped Maurice clean up the safe house, finding her shoes and an extra pair or tennies for Daniel, she got them both ready to go. Maurice did a quick once over of the child's injuries, but declared them to be nothing but bruises that would heal with time. As the older man had predicted, everything fit him somewhat loosely, but Sydney didn't care. It served its purpose, and she was just happy that this little boy in front of her was going to get his second chance.

An hour later, she was saying goodbye to Maurice as she and Daniel boarded the commercial plane. The tickets and their two passports were tucked away in the purse Maurice had surprised her with in the car.

They found their seats relatively easily, an older couple smiling gently, though concern shone in their eyes when they saw the bruises on the young woman and the child. Sydney instantly knew this was going to be a long flight. Still…the Frenchman had cleared her, saying that once four more hours had passed he supposed that it wouldn't do any more damage to sleep through the rest of the flight. Unfortunately, Daniel hadn't seen it that way. He was animated, more so that she'd ever seen him. His questions were always quiet and shy, his hand clutching the duck as the other held Sydney's thumb to make sure she didn't leave him.

"Excuse me," The older woman finally spoke up after the stewardess brought crayons and a thin coloring book for Daniel to play with from the back. "I don't mean to pry, but…are you all right?"

Sydney looked to her right, seeing that the woman had switched seats with her husband in order to sit next to her. "Oh…I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"That's a pretty nasty bump on your head, I was just wondering."

"Oh, thank you for asking, but I'm fine."

"What happened?" Syd let out an internal sigh, happy that Daniel was content to color with one hand, Duckie sitting on the tray table next to his artwork. His other hand still held to her thumb, so Sydney was holding the book still while he drew. Time to roll with the story Vaughn had briefed her on. She'd told Daniel as well, explaining to him very carefully that if anyone asked about his bruises, that he had to tell them they'd been hit while driving. Also, he couldn't call her Sydney; he had to call her mommy.

"We got into a car accident. I have family in Moscow, and my uncle is very sick. So Danny and I flew out to visit for the week. Unfortunately, on the way back from the hospital on the first night our rental got blind-sided. Thankfully the impact was on my side and not his."

"Of course…how terrible. And his father? Wasn't he there as well?"

"No, my husband had a conference in San Diego he's been preparing for, so he wasn't able to come with us. He's picking us up at the airport though." She noticed that Daniel had stopped coloring and was listening intently to the conversation between the two women.

"What's wrong, Danny?" Syd asked carefully, her focus swinging back to the child sitting beside her.

"I'm hungry, Sydney." Fear sparked in his eyes as it dawned on him that he was supposed to call her mommy. He saw the older woman's eyebrow raise up, looking suspiciously at Sydney. "I mean…mommy." Tears formed as he picked up his crayon, coloring vigorously, knowing that he'd be punished for making a mistake. He dropped her thumb from his grasp and balled up his hand into a tiny fist.

Sydney noticed his apprehension and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before running her hands through his soft hair.

"Does he usually call you Sydney?"

"Well we're just getting used to the mommy and daddy thing. We adopted him about a month ago from an agency in London." She dodged that bullet, and was happy to see that he was no longer nervous and his hand crept back into hers, lodging her thumb into his palm.

She smiled, reaching into the small carry-on duffle they'd brought, pulling out a small peanut butter sandwich and a container of applesauce.

"You seem quite young to adopt."

"Michael and I thought it would be best, though it hasn't hampered our wants to have our own children. We work for the government, so we travel all over and see these orphanages - the children, so we promised that for our first child we would adopt. Last year we were visiting his building and saw him, and we just knew. He looked so much like us both; we got all the paperwork there and went back every month to visit him. Now he's home with us and we couldn't be happier." Syd bluffed, though the older woman bought every bit of it.

"Can I sit on your lap, mommy?" Daniel's tiny voice asked in her ear, and she nodded, putting his things away, as well as his half eaten sandwich, folding up the tray table and letting him climb onto her legs. He got himself situated, sitting up suddenly and looking around.

"What?"

"Where's Duckie?" He asked, seeing that the yellow toy had fallen to the floor, bouncing out into the aisle. "Oh no, Duckie." Tears filled his eyes as Sydney set him back into his own seat, unhooking her seatbelt, and stepping out into the causeway to grab Daniel's fallen companion. After turning around and seeing the huge smile on his face, as well as hearing several on-lookers go 'aww' at the happy little boy, she settled him back onto her lap as he grabbed her thumb with one hand and the duck with the other before resting his head on her chest over her heart. She had no clue how he was comfortable with the way he was laying, his legs sticking out over onto his own abandoned seat and his torso twisted at an angle so he could hold both Sydney and his toy while he slept, but all thoughts drifted away as she played with the hair at the back of his neck and rubbing his back lightly until she had drifted off as well.

"Sydney? Sydney dear, the plane's landed." The elderly woman called out, her arm on Sydney's shoulder as she woke the young woman.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to sleep that long. We've really landed?" Butterflies danced in Sydney's stomach, knowing that Vaughn would be waiting for her after she stepped off the plane.

The woman stood with her husband, and they had obviously waited until the plane had emptied to give the two of the time to get off without being rushed. "Yes, we were going to wake you during the descent, but you too looked far too precious and comfortable to disturb."

"Thank you." She smiled, seeing Daniel still asleep, though his head had nuzzled its way under her chin. She managed to set him in the seat beside her without him waking, his grip on her thumb tightening with the movement. Gathering their things and flinging the bag over her shoulder across her chest to make sure it didn't drop, she reached down and lifted him back into her arms. He went willingly, his arms wrapping around her neck. She got him situated against her, the tightness in her ribs causing them to ache as the last of her pain medication wore off. He burrowed his nose into the column of her throat and sighed as she made her way off the plane and through the tunnel.

As expected, Vaughn was standing impatiently at the other end, his eyes lighting up as he saw her emerge. A grin spread across his face at the sight of her carrying young Daniel, though at Vaughn's first assessment, he didn't seem to be big enough to be four years old. He fit in her arms perfectly, and the revelation Michael had at that moment was mind-blowing. He saw the tears fill her eyes as she took in the sight of him, dressed casually in slacks and a button up, long sleeved, green shirt. Taking the two steps forward, he enveloped both Sydney and the child in his arms, letting her kiss the side of his neck before pulling her back and setting his own lips against hers.

"I missed you…"

"I missed you too. It killed me to leave you behind…you have no idea." Vaughn stated, running his hand over her good cheek as his eyes inspected the bruised left side of her face.

"It only looks bad, I promise. Can…can we go home please?" He noticed the wince as she shifted the sleeping boy, and reached out to take him from her. "No…if he wakes up and doesn't know who you are…"

"You did tell him about me, right?"

"Of course, but I don't know if he understands that." She argued, but relented and slid Daniel into Vaughn's welcome arms. He did much the same with Michael that he did with Sydney, only he refused to let go of her thumb.

Vaughn set one arm under the boy's legs, holding him in place as the other moved to Sydney's lower back as they walked from the airport into the hot Californian sun.

"We need to talk Syd…"

* * *


	13. Chapter 13: Borrowed Time

Chapter 13: Borrowed Time

* * *

"We need to talk Syd…" The moment the words left his mouth the incessant ringing of a cell phone cut through the car. Picking it up, Sydney answered.

"Sydney, are you home alright?" Her father's uncharacteristically concerned voice bounced through the phone as she buckled her seatbelt, watching as Vaughn gently placed the child in the safety chair in the back seat. She mentally stored that information away to ask where he'd gotten in when her father began speaking.

"I'm assuming you're bringing the boy in for tests?"

"No, not right now. I'm taking him home for a couple days. The last thing that Danny needs right now is more doctors poking him."

"Sydney, I don't think that's a wise decision. The child needs to be examined by a doctor."

"He was in Russia. Vaughn's cousin owns a summer home near the safe house, and he stopped by yesterday to look us both over. We're fine, but I don't want…"

"This isn't negotiable. You bring him in so our doctors can run tests, then you'll be free to take him home with you."

Sydney heaved an angry sigh as she closed the phone, hanging up on her father while Vaughn climbed into the car.

"Your dad?" He asked, his hand immediately reaching out and forming a protective cocoon over her own.

"Yeah, his orders are that we take Daniel into APO and let the doctors run tests…I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Well…they might be able to do some blood work that Maurice couldn't. Maybe we should."

"Vaughn, he's been through so much already, can we just take him home for a day? Let him get some sleep before we take him to the doctor."

He looked over at her with sympathetic green eyes, turning toward APO rather than the apartment. "I don't mean to take sides, but I'd like to see you get looked at as well." He spoke, seeing the anger flare up on her face. She let go of his hand, pulling away until she was pressed up against the door of the car.

"Sydney, pouting is not very becoming on you."

"Bite me." She growled, and Vaughn knew to let well enough alone. Parking at the station, he sat for a moment before turning to look at her. "Sydney…"

"Vaughn…"

They started at the same time, a small laugh breaking the tension.

"I love you…you know that. I just want to make sure you're okay. I'll force the doctors to let you stay at his side the entire time, I promise." He saw her nod slowly, knowing the mission, the child, everything from the last few days were beginning to catch up to her.

She peeked into the backseat, intending to wake Daniel up but found his eyes open, watching the scene between the two adults closely.

"Hi, sweetie."

"Hi." His voice was soft and shy, and he squeezed the small duck in both hands.

"This is Vaughn, he's…well…he's a very good friend of mine. He's the person I trust the most in the entire world." She saw realization hit the boy's eyes, knowing that if she claimed to trust Vaughn, then Daniel would have no problem doing the same.

"We home?" He asked, his voice a fraction above a whisper.

"Actually, we're going in to see a doctor." Sydney soothed him as he panicked, struggling to get out of the seat. "Daniel…Danny…what did I say? What did I promise?" Sydney asked, sliding from the front seat to the back, taking his hand as she unclipped him, Vaughn watching from the open window with a small smile on his face.

"Danny, what did I promise?"

"You wouldn't leave me."

"And do I break my promises?"

"Not yet…"

Syd chuckled, pulling him out and propping him up onto her hip, wincing slightly at the weight against her ribs. "And I don't plan to. Now, can you do me a big favor?" At his avid nod, she smiled lightly. "Can you let Vaughn carry you inside?" He looked warily between both Vaughn and Syd, shaking his head to show that he was comfortable right where he was.

"Buddy, let me carry you. Sydney has an owie that makes it really hard to hold you up. Or, if you really don't want me to, how about you walk next to her? You can hold her hand." Vaughn asked, turning on a gentle smile, yet showing the young man that there wasn't any way that he was going to let Sydney hold him through their walk into the APO offices.

Reluctantly, he let go of her arms and slid to the ground. He reached a hand out to Sydney, taking her pinky as he stuffed the duck into the large front pouch in the front of his overalls. Looking up at the smiling man that Sydney said she trusted, he reached out to him as well before taking his thumb with his free hand. Sydney smiled lightly, Vaughn doing the same and they made their way through the sealed door into the long opening corridor of APO.

Jack was waiting near the front desk, and he had to do a double take when he saw the group make their way in. The closer they got, the slower Daniel would go until they had stopped nearly eight feet from where the formidable Jack Bristow was standing. Sydney looked down, waiting for the child to continue, but saw the fear and apprehension on his face. She patiently waited, Vaughn doing the same as Jack walked toward them. With each step, Daniel pulled both Vaughn and Sydney closer until he was half-way hidden, the sides of their hands touching slightly.

Sydney knelt next to him, pulling his attention away from Jack as he talked in quiet tones to Vaughn. "Would you like Vaughn to carry you?"

"I want you to carry me." His voice was a whimper, and she reached out a hand to run it through his wild hair.

"I can't, Danny. My side hurts too badly. Why don't you let Vaughn carry you until we can find some place to sit, then you can sit on my lap?" She offered, seeing that Jack and Michael were watching the interaction with mixed expressions. Finally Daniel nodded as he looked up at Vaughn.

Rather than reaching down and hefting him up, Vaughn crouched low so he was level with the boy. Daniel slid his arms warily around Michael's neck as the adult stood, taking the child with him. Sydney stood with a grunt, her father's hand steadying her shoulder as Danny reached out to her.

"Thumb…or the pinky?" She asked with a wide dimpled smile, seeing a small smirk on the boys face as he took her thumb in his hand, holding it between his small body and Vaughn's hard chest.

"I've arranged to have a doctor look at him, but Sloane wants to see you in his office. Both of you." Jack stated, as he looked between the couple; with the child between them, this group looked like one happy family. Oddly, the boy looked a lot like a mix between Sydney and Vaughn. The green eyes and the hair were the only real attributes, but striking enough for the common person to find nothing wrong with the picture.

"Dad…I'm not leaving him alone with the doctors. I made a promise, and I can't break it."

"Sydney…I'm sorry. There are several tests that need to be done. You know for a fact that you can find him when you're through, but Sloane is waiting for you in the briefing room.

"Then Danny's coming with us."

The glare she received from her father was equally matched with one of her own. Knowing that the elder Bristow would never back down from a challenge, she countered with a low blow. "You broke all of your promises to me, but I refuse to do that to him. Tell Sloane that we will meet when the tests are over, or he'll have one more in the brief." She growled and turned, nearly running in to the man she was speaking of.

"Sydney, I would never ask you to break a promise. Of course…go with the boy. We'll talk after." The disappointment in his eyes was nothing new, but deep down she knew that she could never expect the child to trust anyone when the one person who promised everything turned into a liar.

"Impressive." Weiss chuckled as he popped up from his desk.

"Shut up, Eric." Both Vaughn and Syd growled, though Sydney accepted a large hug from the giant teddy bear when he offered.

"Glad you're home. Nadia says you need to call her. Sloane gave her today off because of the mission." Weiss explained, seeing Sydney's eyes dart around the vicinity in search of her sister.

They left Weiss at his desk, Vaughn still carrying the timid little boy through the maze of rooms before they finally ended up in the medical ward.

"Ah, Agent Bristow. Right this way."

"Did you put them in the same room like I requested?" Vaughn questioned, seeing the doctor nod without turning around. "Thank you."

Sydney showered him with a thankful gaze as they walked into a room, seeing two cots lying side by side. Sydney settled into one, Danny pushing away from Vaughn until he was lowered, carefully, onto Sydney's waiting lap. Folding her legs indian-style beneath her, he fit into the pocket of her body perfectly. Vaughn lowered himself beside them as Sydney leaned into his shoulder, and instantly his arm was around her back as he set a kiss to her temple.

Danny watched the motions with interest, looking between one adult and the next. Reaching out, he pulled Vaughn's first finger into his hand as he pushed his nose into Sydney's neck. The couple smiled, Sydney propping her chin on his head as Vaughn did the same to her own, being mindful of the stitches she showed him.

"Well, it's good to see you home." The doctor began, looking with a small smile at the scene the three of them made. "We'll need to run some blood tests, see how he's doing."

Danny immediately clung to both adults at the entrance of the doctor, his whimper not going unnoticed by either of them.

"Can we make this quick? He's incredibly uneasy around doctors…" The man nodded, pulling out a needle as he approached the group.

"No!" Danny screamed, pushing farther into Sydney's arms, he knee coming into contact with her ribs, and she hissed in pain. Vaughn immediately plucked the boy from her lap, settling him in his own and holding his with gentle yet strong hands.

"Danny…we're going to help you, but you have to let us. Can you tell me what we can do to make this go easier?" Vaughn asked with a calm voice as the child settled down slightly, his eyes still wild.

"You too."

"What?"

"You get it too…" he begged, shining and teary green eyes meeting soothing and patient ones, Sydney watching from the sidelines as she got a first hand glimpse of what kind of a father Vaughn would make.

"You want the doctor to take my blood too, huh?"

At Daniel's vigorous nod, Vaughn released his arms to roll up the sleeve of his green shirt. The moment Danny was released from Vaughn's grasp, his tiny arm shot out and he wiggled his fingers into Sydney's. She held it tightly between both of her hands, her thumb rubbing in small circles over the back of his smaller one. With her free hand, she rolled up the sleeve and, for the second time, saw the many bruises and spots along the crook of his elbow where the people from the Plant had injected him with god-knows-what.

"Well…this area looks pretty sore. What say we find a different spot?" The doctor questioned, searching Sydney's eyes to see if there was a better spot to take blood.

"His other arm should be fine. It looks like they just poked one side continuously." She said quietly, though the anger was in her eyes, she kept it from her voice.

"You first." Danny looked up at Vaughn, as the doctor looked between the two.

"Okay, I'll go first." Michael held his arm out to the doctor, seeing Danny scoot closer and closer until his nose was nearly touching Vaughn's elbow.

"You get any closer and it won't be my turn at all little man." Vaughn winked as Danny pulled back slightly, wincing when the needle pierced Vaughn's skin.

"Does it hurt like when the mad people do it?"

"Not really. Feels like a little pinch, but that's all." Vaughn explained, leaving out the part where he had never felt what it was like to be poked by the mad people the boy talked of.

"It helps if you squeeze your eyes shut really really tight." Vaughn smiled, seeing Danny scrunch his eyes closed. "No, no, tighter." He complied, making Vaughn laugh as he told him to try harder, nodding to the doctor for him to continue. He took the child's blood quickly, and both Syd and laughed when the little boy continued to hold his face tight, not realizing that it was over.

He opened one eye and then the other, looking up at them then to the doctor. He saw the smiley-faced band-aid in the crook of his arm and broke out into an infectious smile.

"That didn't hurt at all!" He giggled, nearly bouncing off of Vaughn's lap.

"Easy, pal, let's finish with the other tests before we celebrate. See? I told you if you scrunched your eyes tight it doesn't hurt." He rolled down his sleeve as Danny leaned against his chest, completely at ease with the man holding him.

"Agent Bristow, let's take a look at those ribs."

"Okay." Sydney obeyed, lifting the hem of her t-shirt and seeing the surprise on the doctor's face when he noticed the rib wrap securely around her torso. "Who told you to wear this?"

"Vaughn's cousin is a doctor, he gave us a once over in Moscow." She explained, wincing as he removed the wrap.

Both Vaughn and Danny leaned forward, each making an examination of their own in the form of grimaces.

"Well, that's a nice sized bruise. I'm going to poke around…it's going to hurt like hell but I have to do it." The doctor began, and Sydney groaned, Vaughn's hand instantly moving to rub the small of her back.

"Squeeze your eyes shut." Danny suggested as he held her hand, Sydney letting out a pained laugh.

"Well, I think you'll be fine with just the wrap, some pain killers and some rest. Take it easy." Wrapping her back up, he told them he'd call with Daniel's blood work sometime in the next few days.

"We get to go now?" He asked, looking up at Vaughn with sleepy eyes, as Michael set him on the end of the bed before standing. Turning his back towards the little boy, he crouched forward.

"Yep. Hop up, buddy. I think we all need a long nap." With a grin Danny launched himself onto Vaughn's back as Sydney slid her shirt back on over her head. They thanked the doctor and left, receiving many awkward stares as they made their way through the offices.

"Sydney, Vaughn. I only wish to take a moment of your time." Their smiled faded as Sloane called out from the meeting room. With Danny still on his back, they made their way over and stood just inside the door, seeing an elderly woman sitting on the seat in front of Sloane's desk.

"We've found a family to care for the boy until he can be placed in a permanent home. This is Adrienne Eisman and she runs a foster home for abandoned children. She'll take good care of him."

* * *


	14. Chapter 14: Home?

Chapter 14: Home?

* * *

"Excuse me?" Sydney and Vaughn spoke simultaneously, their eyes filled with shock. Instinctively, Vaughn's hands tightened under Daniel's body, the child looking back and forth between the adults trying to and figure out what was going on.

"Nice to meet you both. My home is clean and efficient; you have nothing to worry about." Adrienne spoke as she stood and reached a friendly hand out to Sydney since Vaughn's hands were full.

Sydney shook her hand, but her eyes never left Sloane's. "This won't be necessary. It was my understanding that I would be taking care of him until further notice…" she left off, seeing Adrienne look back and forth between the group and Arvin.

"Sydney, as much as I think it would benefit the child to stay with you, there are certain protocols that we must follow. If we weren't black ops, or a covert branch, Langley wouldn't have any qualms with letting you take care of Daniel. Unfortunately, the laws specifically state that the child has been privy to classified information, and therefore will need to stay in a CIA operated foster care facility. Since we cannot tell anyone about APO's involvement with the CIA, he's going to have to be taken away. I'm sorry."

"Bull sht." She growled, seeing the anger she was feeling reflect in Vaughn's eyes as well. "I am the only one that Danny trusts. He won't just go with someone he doesn't know. He was tortured for days…possibly weeks. There is no way I'm going to let him be taken somewhere where he won't be safe."

"And what if you have a mission? Whom will he stay with then?" Sloane countered, seeing Sydney fall back slightly, looking up at the child she'd taken care of for a day and a half staring back down at her.

"I'm going with Sydney." He spoke softly but clearly as his arms wrapped around Vaughn's neck, lacing his fingers together in an attempt to cling to the man supporting him.

"Daniel, I'm afraid that's not possible." Adrienne sighed, reaching down into the large bag she was carrying and pulling out a manila file full of papers as well as a small teddy bear. "If you're interested in adopting, then after we do the paperwork and take care of the legal matters he's more than welcome to stay with you. But until a permanent home is available, he'll be living with us. It's not to say that you are disallowed from visiting, our doors are always open." Her voice was commanding, and Daniel reached out to Sydney.

"Please no, you promised." He sobbed as she pulled him into her arms and sat down on the nearest chair.

"Danny, you're going to go with this nice woman and she's going to take care of you for a little while."

"Why?" His clear green eyes shone up at her, and her heart broke.

"Because it's against the rules if I take you home. You and I could get into a lot of trouble."

"But you promised…"

"And I'm not breaking that promise. If you need me, you just tell Adrienne and she can call me. Then I'll be over as fast as I can get there." She swore as she cupped his cheeks, wiping away the tears that ran in rivulets.

"Anytime?"

"Anytime." She promised, standing up and placing a kiss to the top of his head. Vaughn did the same and he was slightly surprised when Danny threw himself into his arms for a hug.

"Come on, Danny…" Adrienne called as she stood in the doorway, her bag in her hand as well as the small fluffy bear.

"You can't call me Danny." He growled, still holding tight to Vaughn.

"Okay. Daniel, it's time to go. You'll see them tomorrow." She stood, waiting patiently, as Daniel's arms let go of Michael's neck and he slowly walked toward the stranger in the doorway. He refused to take her hand, so she grabbed onto his wrist, pulling him from the office and out into the bustling stream of agents and desk-jockeys. Weiss looked up in confusion as he noticed Daniel leaving without Syd and Vaughn, peering over at Sloane's office with interested brown eyes.

"He'll be fine, I assure you." Arvin spoke gently, trying to soothe the two agents staring out the window until the boy was no longer visible.

Sydney turned, eyes flaring as she glared him down, watching with glee as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Stalking over to his desk, she grabbed the file folder and flew out, leaving Vaughn in her wake.

"Sydney, wait."

"Don't." She warned, coming across Weiss as he stood directly in her path. "Weiss, if you don't get out of my way, I'll move you myself."

He jumped back as she stormed by, stopping Vaughn by grabbing his arm. What the hell's going on? Who is that lady taking the kid?"

"That was Adrienne Eisman. Apparently, Sloane was contacted by Langley and they are taking Danny to a secure foster home until they have a more permanent place for him to stay." Vaughn rubbed his hands over his face as he watched Sydney flop down at her desk and stare at the closed folder.

"What…you guys aren't thinking of…" Eric's eyes went wide as he threw his hands up in a defensive move, walking away from the death stare his friend was all to happy to give.

Slowly, Michael approached her desk before pulling up a chair next to her. He didn't notice that she was crying until her shoulders shook from the effort of concealing each sob, and he reached over to pull her against his chest.

"Sydney…everything's going to be fine. You'll see. We'll get it all taken care of." He assured her quietly, his voice barely above a whisper as Dixon moved toward them. A quick shake of Vaughn's head was all it took, and the senior agent turned away.

"I don't know what to do Vaughn…that…that's the second time Sloane's taken away a Danny from me; guess it all just hit me…" she sighed, evening out her breathing while reaching for a tissue and wiping her nose before she looked up at his sympathetic green eyes.

"Come on…let's go home. We'll talk about everything when we get there."

"Everything?" She tossed him a half smirk and he was relieved to see that she was calming down faster than usual.

"Well…not everything. We'll just talk about what's going to happen for starters. We can move to more heavy material if we get the chance." He smiled and stood, reaching his hand out to her. She picked up the folder and let him pull her up and into his arms.

"Vaughn…people are staring."

"Let 'em stare." He spoke as he traced her cheek with his finger, setting a chaste kiss to her forehead. Pulling away, he linked his fingers through hers as they made their way out of the offices.

"Eric…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, I was a jerk."

"Nah, you had a lot going on Syd, and I understand. It's okay."

"No, Eric, I was a jerk. Sorry for being jerkish." She smiled and he hugged her as his phone rang.

"Weiss' mortuary, you stab 'em we slab 'em, Eric speaking…" he grinned, mouthing Nadia to the confused couple.

"You're such a kid, Eric." Sydney giggled as they walked by, telling him to let Nadia know she was on her way home.

"Ya, Nadi, they're on their way home right now."

"Do they have Daniel with them?" She asked, her voice filled with small bits of static as she began heating a pot of water to make some tea.

"Nope. Apparently Sloane had some old lady in here that runs a government owned foster care facility, and she took Danny. Syd's devastated. I'm thinking that maybe you should stay at my place tonight; give the two of them some space. What do you think?"

"Well, it depends. Are you trying to help out Syd and Vaughn or help yourself?" Nadia asked, and Weiss could tell she was smiling.

"If I say both, is that a bad thing?"

"Not necessarily."

"Then both." He grinned, seeing Jack send him a glare from across the office. "I'd better go. Syd's dad is challenging me in a stare-down. I'll call after I get off, okay?"

"Okay." Nadia hung up the phone as the teapot whistled and the front door opened. "Hey. Heard you had a rough time." She said, coming around the corner and seeing the bruises and cut on Sydney's face. "I'm glad you're safe." She smiled and pulled Syd in for a hug.

"Well…relatively. I'll be fine, I just need some rest." She flopped onto the couch gingerly, as Vaughn poured her a cup of hot water and grabbed chamomile tea from the cupboard.

"You should have something to eat if you want to take your pain pills, Syd." He called, bringing her a glass of cool water to take the medicine with.

"Sure. Anything is fine…" she sighed, looking over at the telephone.

"She'll let him call if there's something wrong. It's about dinnertime anyway. Nadi, you and Eric gonna be here?"

"Nope. We're going on a date and then I'm staying at his place tonight. You have the house to yourself." She grinned, making her way to her room to change, grabbing her cell phone to call Eric and let him know that they were going out that evening.

Dinner went well, though their spirits were somewhat lower than usual. They washed the dishes together, their hands brushing when passing off a cup, bowl or plate, and they settled on the couch to watch a movie to pass the time. Half way through 'North by Northwest' Sydney had fallen asleep nestled against Vaughn's chest. He grabbed the remote that he'd previously set down on her hip and hit the stop button. They hadn't felt the need to talk that night, their moods low, so they'd settled into a comfortable routine of silence.

He shifted, trying to slide farther down onto the couch without waking her, but she opened her eyes anyway.

"Hi."

"Hi. You missed the last half." Vaughn smiled, kissing the tip of her nose before laying his cheek atop her forehead.

"I've seen it. Do you think Danny's okay?"

"Probably having the time of his life. Hanging out with other kids, actually getting to play then have a decent meal. I'm sure he's fine, Syd." He reassured her, his hand running up and down her side lightly.

"You realize that with the rib wrap on I can't feel anything you're doing, right?" She asked with a giggle as he pulled back to look down at her.

"Has that stopped me?"

"Not really."

"Are we going to tip-toe around everything all night long or are we going to actually get this talk started?"

She sighed, pulling herself back into the safe circle of his arms.

"I'm gonna sign the papers."

"Syd…you can't."

"Why not?" She pushed back incredulously, fixing her confused and angry brown eyes on his soft jade orbs.

"Sweetie, the lives that we lead aren't conducive to the demands of raising a child."

"Well it's not your decision."

"Wait…what? How is it not my decision?" He felt her push against him, pressing him into the back of the couch as well as using him for leverage to sit up. Instinctively his hands wrapped around her shoulders as he steadied her before beginning his rant. "You're not the only one here Sydney, I'm in this picture too. And what about Nadia? She's your roommate. You can't just make this choice without our input."

"Vaughn, unless we do something, there's no telling how long he'll be in foster care. He doesn't deserve that! Danny needs a home, and I'm going to give him one."

"Ya, I agree that he needs a permanent setup, but at the expense of what?"

"Whatever I need to give up…I will. If it's APO then fine. I'm done."

"You can't just walk away, Sydney, you know that. It didn't work with SD-6 and it's not going to work with APO."

She stood with a grunt, her hand momentarily moving to her side as she walked briskly into the kitchen to refill her glass.

"Vaughn…I want out. We've talked about it before; the thought of leaving is too appealing. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the bruises, of the broken bones. I'm tired of counting on my hands how many people I've killed after each mission. I'm just…weary. If I have to leave it all behind, then I will." She sighed, leaning against the counter and taking the last of her pills for the day as Vaughn followed her, leaning casually against the stove.

"What about me?"

"What do you mean?" her head whipped up, her startled expression meeting his resigned face.

"Syd, what if I'm not ready to leave? I still have to find out the truth about my father. I need to know."

"I'm not asking you to leave, Vaughn. I know how important it is to you."

"You do know that Sloane will have you relocated, right? You can't just walk away from APO and keep everyone from the office as friends on the side. It's a security risk that the CIA won't put up with."

To be honest, she'd thought of that. Long and hard. She'd had several sleepless nights wondering what she'd gotten herself into. It said it on the bottom of the contract she'd signed. 'If at any time the participant of this contract wishes to retire, said participants will be put into witness protection and relocated as so not to violate section 81 A of the Patriot Act.'

"You know what that means right?" He pressed, seeing the tears well in her eyes as the fought to hold them at bay.

"Yea, I do." 'It means that unless you come with me, I'll have to leave you behind.' Her mind finished as she felt him staring her down, waiting almost impatiently for her answer.

"Vaughn…I'm signing the papers."

* * *


	15. Chapter 15: Heart to Heart

A/N: Just to say this so somebody says it, I know on the show we found out the Vaughn's dad really is dead and he was just being played, but for the sake of our plot we're going to pretend that in the 'Have You Ever…' universe….that hasn't happened.

Chapter 15: Heart to Heart

* * *

She sat staring at the door that Vaughn had closed, tears finally dropping to her cheeks as she slid to the floor in the kitchen.

"Dammit." She sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

That had been three hours ago, and she still sat in a crumpled heap on the floor. Her mind was a foggy haze, confusion welling up inside her and she stared into empty space while fighting back yet another onslaught of tears.

"_Vaughn…I'm signing the papers."_

"_So you're just giving up on us. Every day we fought against the Alliance? My sham marriage to, Lauren? Everything we've done to try and hold on to one another means nothing to you?" He exploded, though his rage was somewhat contained. Every spark of anger was in his eyes but his face and body remained perfectly still. It was the disappointment in his usually compassionate and understanding green eyes that scared her the most._

"_No…but Vaughn…"_

"_Don't. Sydney…I love you so much, but the sheer fact that you're willing to throw this relationship away hurts." He snarled, grabbing his keys from the small table beside the couch._

"_Please don't leave…we need to talk about this. We've got connections everywhere, Vaughn. You know we don't need APO to find your dad." She countered, seeing him turn to look back at her._

"_You're acting like a fool Sydney, and I hope that I'm there when all of this catches back up to you, because you're going to fall, baby. Hard." His voice wasn't even recognizable, his face a mask of fury._

"_I can't do this alone."_

"_You're out of luck, because this is my life Sydney. This is what I'm good at."_

"_That's not true and you know it. You were doing just fine as a teacher before, why couldn't you do it again?" _

"_Because that's not who I am damn it. I'm a different person than I was two years ago." He growled turning and stalking the two yards toward her. They stood nose to nose but the wrath on his face made her look to the floor. Seeing the fear in her eyes, and knowing he was the catalyst made him stop and take a deep breath before softening his expression. _

"_I don't want to lose you, Syd, but if you sign those papers…that's what's gonna happen." He cupped her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I'm sorry I blew up, but…I'm afraid. If I had to choose between you and Danny, there's no contest. Think about that then call me when you're ready." _

Then he left. He just walked out quietly, closing the door behind him and leaving her to her thoughts. She wasn't sure how long she'd stayed sitting on the floor, but she finally rose and made her way to the kitchen table. Nearly collapsing into the chair, she slid the file folder over and opened it, seeing the dozens of pages that required every type of signature known to man. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her cell phone. Laying it beside the documents, she sat and looked back and forth between the two.

Deep inside, she knew that this kind of situation shouldn't even require thought. After the nearly five years that she had known Vaughn, he should be her obvious choice. So why was this decision one of the toughest she'd ever been faced with? She knew that was saying a lot, because Sydney Bristow had been in the middle of plenty of compromising circumstances.

Picking up her phone, she hit Speed Dial 1, hearing Vaughn's cell phone ringing in the hallway beyond the front door of the apartment. With a frown she stood, leaving the cell to her ear as she made her way through the foyer to the entryway. Opening the door, she saw his sparkling green eyes staring back at her, a veil of remorse hidden by one of happiness and love. She didn't look down when she pushed the button, ending the call.

"I was hoping you'd call, I started to get worried after the first two hours." His voice was quiet; any onlooker would simply scoff at the situation of both adults staring at one another as though there was an invisible field separating them, Sydney in the apartment and Vaughn standing at the threshold.

"I want to talk." She sobbed and he slid his phone into his pocket before pulling her into his arms, walking her backwards into the living room and closing the door with his foot. "I'm so sorry, Vaughn…I was being so selfish…" she cried against his chest, but most of her words so muffled that Vaughn probably couldn't even understand a thing.

Nonetheless, he rubbed her back in soothing circles and whispered calming words in her ear.

"Vaughn…I don't want to give Danny up…but if I'm going to lose you in the process then it's just not worth it." She sniffled, finally finding her voice after a few long minutes of crying against the column of his throat.

"Well…let's try and figure this out. Come on." He smiled gently, knowing that he had to let her make the decision, but the agonizing minutes of hearing her cry behind the door, followed by the silence, had nearly eaten him alive. He led the way to the table and sat, pulling her onto his lap as his hands picked up the first document.

Sydney sat in the seat of the car, her eyes fixed on the huge house before her.

"Wow. I'm thinking of becoming an orphan if I can live here." Weiss exclaimed from the back seat, Nadia elbowing him in the side as Vaughn looked back, seeing them wedged together as the car seat took up nearly an entire seat and a half.

"If I have to come back there you're not gonna like it." He growled, looking over at Sydney before reaching out and taking her hand. "You go in and get him. I'll keep an eye on our other two children." He winked, feeling Weiss smack the back of his head from behind. Both girls laughed as Syd opened the door of the car and made her way slowly to the front door.

Knocking three times, she heard scampering feet then children's shouting for Mrs. Adrienne before a tall boy nearly thirteen years old opened the door.

"Shut up!" He shouted, effectively silencing the shouts as he turned and looked back at Sydney. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm Sydney Bristow. I called earlier this morning and talked with Adrienne, and I'm here to pick up Danny for the day."

"Which one? Danny the Bookworm, Stinky Danny, or the newbie?"

"Excuse me?"

"Will you stop answering the door!? Get out of here before I ground you for a month." Adrienne's scolding voice sounded through the foyer and the young man scampered off, the older woman facing Sydney with an apologetic smile. "Good morning, Miss. Bristow. Right this way."

"Is Danny ready?" she asked, walking into the huge house and looking around. Though she'd seen ones bigger, grander, and definitely filled with fewer children, the home was impressive.

"Somewhat. He's been in an upstairs room all day. He had a bit of a nightmare last night and wouldn't stop screaming about the Mad People. I'm assuming that's what he calls the men that held him captive. It scared several of the children too badly for him to stay in the bunk rooms."

"So you locked him in a room?" Sydney stopped walking altogether, looking at the woman with concerned eyes. "He spent days locked in a cell with no human contact, not including the deceased child he was tied to when I found him. Don't you think that sequestering him may have been a bad idea?"

"Please, Miss. Bristow, we're fully aware of his situation. He's going to need to learn to be by himself…"

"But I don't believe that particular lesson should be taught three days after his rescue." Sydney interrupted as Adrienne stopped her in front of a doorway, standing back to let the distressed young agent enter on her own.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. I would appreciate it if you could inform me of the time you'll be returning." With brisk steps the elderly woman walked away, leaving her in the hallway alone.

Sydney knocked twice, hearing the small voice from behind the door.

"Please let me out…please?"

She opened the door quietly, seeing him sitting on the edge of the bed, fresh tear streaks on his dirty cheeks.

"Sydney!" He cried, jumping from the bed and wrapping himself around her legs. She couldn't help the smile that formed despite the irritation she had with his current situation. She crouched down, pulling him into her arms for a hug when she noticed he was in a pair of pajamas far too big for him.

"Let's get you dressed." She smiled, setting him up on the bed with a concealed moan. Moving to the dresser she pulled out a nice cool outfit that would suit their destination and then went to the small sink and wet a washcloth for his face and hands.

"We going home?" he asked with a happy bounce as he patiently waited for Sydney to dress him.

"No, sweetie, sorry. We're going some place fun though."

"Where?"

"It's a secret."

"Please?" He asked with a grin, and she noticed his change in demeanor.

"Are you having fun here?" she questioned, pulling his pajama top over his head, following it with the bottoms as she slid him into a pair of khaki shorts and a green t-shirt with a tyrannosaurus rex on the front.

"No. Miss you." He stated as she placed socks then shoes on his feet, finally sitting next to him on the bed, her hand instantly running through his hair.

"I miss you too. But we're working on some things, and hopefully you won't have to stay here too long. Will you tell me about last night?" she asked, seeing him scoot closer to her side before he took her thumb and held it tight.

"Had a bad dream and I got shouted at."

"By who?"

"Miss Adrienne, she got real mad."

"Because you were scared?"

"Mmhmm. She told me to be quiet and sleep, but said I wanted my Sydney. She said no and tooked me here."

"And you've been here all night?"

"Mmhmm." He snuggled closer, laying his head on her lap as she rubbed his back.

"Hey…let's go." She pulled him up, reaching out and taking his hand as she led the way to the kitchen.

"Adrienne, let me make something perfectly clear. This home," she gestured around her, looking up and the finally meeting the woman's eyes once more, "is a temporary place for him. And if I ever hear of you putting him in a room on his own because he's afraid, you will have more to deal with than an inquiry. The next time he asks for me, you call. Understood?" The look on Sydney's face offered no room for an argument as Danny clung to her side while watching the woman shrink under Syd's powerful glare.

"Understood, Agent Bristow." She stuttered, watching with wide eyes as Sydney walked slowly to the front door, letting Danny have plenty of time to keep up with her measured stride.

They got to the car, Danny waving at Vaughn when he saw him sitting at the wheel, Michael happily waving back, though the disturbed look on Syd's face was plain for him to read.

"Hi Vaughn. Where we goin'?"

"Well…"

"No, it's a secret." Sydney interrupted, poking Vaughn in the back of the head to keep him quiet. Weiss laughed, and Danny immediately settled down, looking warily over at the other two people in the car.

"Danny, this is Nadia, she's my sister. And this is Weiss; he's a very good friend."

"They made us bring them." Vaughn grumbled, and this time it was Nadia that smacked him in the back of the head making the entire car, including Danny, laugh.

"The animal park!" Danny cried out as Vaughn parked the car with a smile.

"Dude, I can't wait to see the monkeys." Weiss called, his nose nearly pressed against the glass, the same as the little boy on the opposite side of the car.

"Gee, Weiss, it's nice to see that a big tough man such as yourself has a soft spot." Syd laughed, getting out and moving to Daniel's side and lifting him from the seat to sit on the top of the car.

"Your owie is all better." Danny stated, reaching out with a deft finger and poking her in the bruised temple. She winced, pulling away with a laugh.

"Not all better, but let's just say it's hiding."

"Okay. Sydney, can I question you?"

Syd smiled at the little boy's vocabulary, nodding as Vaughn joined her, him giving Danny another piggy-back ride.

"Can we pretend like the plane?"

"Like the plane? What do you mean?"

"I'll be Danny, and you are mommy. And you are Vaughn-Daddy." He smiled, tapping Vaughn's head with a small hand as he reached down for Sydney's hand.

"Ummm…sure. That okay with you?" She asked lightly, trying to gauge Vaughn's level of discomfort, but found that genuine happiness shone in his eyes as his fingers linked with hers.

He leaned over, kissing her head as he pulled Danny farther up by his arms, setting him high on his shoulders. As Michael predicted, his hands wrapped around Vaughn's head directly over his eyes. He let go of Sydney's hand, reaching up and lifted Danny's arms away, effectively unblocking his vision.

"I'm gonna fall…" Danny panicked, clutching tight to Vaughn's thumbs for balance.

"I'm not going to let you fall okay? You gotta trust me."

"Ummm…okay…" his voice was shaky, but he complied and let Vaughn keep him balanced. Once he realized the man below him was right, and that he wouldn't let him fall, he moved his head around and took in all the sights around him.

"Look at that big softy." Eric grumbled, pulling Nadia to his side as he watched Syd and Vaughn interact with the boy.

"I happen to think you'd be just the same with our own children."

"Never going to happen because you have to have sex to have kids, Nadi. If you've noticed, we never actually get that far." He growled in her ear, feeling her shiver against him.

"Last night was not my fault…"

"Well, you certainly back peddled fast enough…"

"Hey. You'll be sleeping on the couch again tonight if you keep it up." She warned, seeing Eric close his mouth quickly, placing a kiss to her temple to try and appease the wrath of Nadia Santos. "That's what I thought."

"Wise-ass." He grinned, catching up with the trio in front of them before agreeing to meet in the food court for lunch at noon.

"Come on, we're going to the monkeys. If we're lucky they'll throw some poop." Weiss grinned, wiggling his eyebrows as Nadia was reluctantly pulled away by the thirty-six year old little boy.

"Well, Dan, you lead the way. What should we see first?" Vaughn asked, looking up and seeing the awe and wonder in the child's green eyes.

"Ummm…don't know. All of it." He looked down, his face almost asking for permission.

"You heard the man Sydney, all of it." Vaughn grinned as she grabbed a map from one of the many stands and proceeded to follow the two with a large smile.

* * *

A/N: Well, we certainly jumped emotions in this chapter, haven't we? Read and review please! Tomorrow, we'll be back at the zoo and then Danny's blood work comes in. The moment most of you have been waiting for is coming to fruition!

-Jean


	16. Chapter 16: A Different Kind of Zoo

Chapter 16: A Different Kind of Zoo

* * *

"So what's your favorite so far?" Vaughn asked as he pulled the boy from his shoulders, noticing that he was pale and slightly out of breath. "You feel okay?" He asked with a concerned voice, Sydney bringing them each a large cup filled with ice water.

"I'm firsty." Danny sighed, sliding back against the plastic chair before taking several large gulps of the water as Sydney ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, we can eat lunch and then head back. Maybe take a nap?"

"No, I don't wanna go back…please…" he begged and Sydney reassured him gently.

"No, we we'll take you to our house for a nap." She waved toward Nadia and Weiss as they entered the Chinese restaurant looking for the others, seeing Daniel sit up a bit straighter when he heard that he wasn't going to go back to the foster home.

"Hey guys. Did you see the monkeys?" Syd asked lightly, seeing Nadia roll her eyes.

"Was there poop?" Danny asked as the waitress approached the table, deciding that she had probably come in on the wrong part of their conversation. With an embarrassed smile from Sydney they ordered, looking over at the other couple.

"So, we're thinking we should eat and then head out. Danny's pretty tired, so it's nap time."

"You know what I was thinking?" Weiss asked lightly, grabbing Vaughn's cup of water and taking a long swig garnering a glare from his friend. "We should bar-be-queue for dinner."

"We did put it off, Syd…I think it's a good idea." Sydney swore that if Vaughn had ears they would be perked up by now as his eyes brightened, both grown men turning on their puppy eyes.

"What's a queue?" Danny asked, tugging on the sleeve of Sydney's shirt.

"Oh man! It's awesome! It's where you get a whole bunch of hamburgers, hotdog, man…you name it…then grill them outside. It's a party!" Weiss explained, seeing the happiness jump into Danny's eyes.

He jumped up from his seat, tugging full force on Sydney's arm. "Please?! Please?! I never did a queue before!" He pleaded as she laughed, pulling him over into her lap and setting a kiss to his forehead.

"Alright, we can bar-be-queue tonight, but only if we have a nap before."

"Yes!" All three boys cheered as Nadia and Sydney laughed while Weiss proceeded to show the little boy the different uses for chopsticks.

By the time they were finished eating, Danny was sound asleep with his head resting on Sydney's lap. Vaughn picked him up carefully, placing him against his chest as Danny's cheek squished on Vaughn's shoulder. He shifted but stayed sleeping as the group left, Weiss talking animatedly about everything he was going to grill.

Getting to the car, Michael slid Danny into the car seat carefully, making sure he was buckled in properly before joining the rest in the car.

"You're really good with kids, man." Weiss smiled, matching Vaughn's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Well, I do deal with you on a daily basis."

Sydney tucked the little boy into their bed after removing his shoes and socks, making sure he was sleeping comfortably before she joined the rest of the adults on the patio.

"Okay, so I'm thinking we invite the guys…"

"I don't know Weiss. Maybe we should have it just be us because of Danny. We don't need him to freak out at a bunch of people he hardly knows." Vaughn countered as Sydney walked out, pulling her onto his lap with a grin.

"I called Adrienne to let her know that we're keeping Danny all day and that he'd probably be back late. She suggested that he just stay over night if we'd like him to."

"Okay, what did you say or do to make her agree?" Weiss questioned, taking a swig of his beer.

"Nothing. Well, I made have told her off this morning, but she deserved it. Last night Danny had a nightmare and was crying, and she basically told him to quit it and go back to sleep but he was pretty inconsolable. So she put him in his own room all night to keep him from waking up the other kids."

"I can't believe that. Was he okay when you picked him up?"

"Well, he was still shaken up, but the fact that he's staying here tonight raises the issue that we have no clothes for him. We may have to go shopping while the boys set up for the bar-be-queue." Sydney looked at Nadia with a smile, wiggling her eye brows as Vaughn and Weiss rolled their eyes.

"Look, why don't you go, Weiss and I will set everything up, and if Danny wakes up before you get back we'll take him to the beach for a little while."

"Can we trust you both to be good while we're gone?" Sydney asked lightly as she and Nadia stood to leave.

"No." Weiss grounded his statement with a lam 'everything will be fine' smile as Nadia kissed his forehead and Syd did the same to Vaughn.

Ten minutes of silence passed between the two men as they relaxed on the padded chairs, the sun being diverted away from their bodies by the large umbrella standing tall at the center of the table.

"So…"

"Weiss, don't. We haven't made a decision yet."

"You know that if you do what you're both thinking of doing, you'll be relocated away from L.A. right?" His usually jovial face was a mask of seriousness and concern, but hurt shone in his eyes as well.

"I know…but we're working on it. We've got something under our sleeves that isn't concrete yet, but you and Nadi will be the first to know, we promise. Now let's see how much charcoal we have." Deftly changing the subject, they spent the next hour getting things set up; waiting patiently for both girls to return from what they were sure would turn into a shopping spree.

"I'm gonna run over to my apartment and grab Donovan. He's been miserable all week, I thought you said you were going to come and get him soon."

"I'm sorry Eric; I just haven't had time to talk to Sydney about it. I don't think it'll be a problem. Bring him over I miss his mutt face anyway. How much weight has he put on?" Michael laughed, Weiss punching him in the shoulder before taking off.

Padded footfalls made Vaughn turn to see Danny with tears streaming down his cheeks. Dropping what he was doing, he walked over to the little boy, pulling him up into his arms.

"What happened? How long have you been awake?"

"Had a bad dream." He sobbed, clutching Vaughn's shoulders with tight hands as he settled them down on the couch.

"What happened in your dream?"

"They were there, with pointies, and they stucked me lots." He began to calm down, hiccupping now and again as he lay lax against Vaughn's chest, his tiny body worn out from exertion.

They sat quietly for a few moments, Vaughn sitting up and Danny looking at him with wide eyes.

"I think we have popsicles in the freezer. Want one?"

"What is that?"

"You'll see." He smiled, placing the boy on the couch as he walked toward the kitchen. Danny maneuvered, kneeling backwards with his hands pulling him up to peer over the back of the couch; he kept Vaughn in sight the entire time. Returning with two red popsicles, he handed one to the child while keeping one for him self.

"Mmm…it's good." The instant smile on Danny's face made Michael grin himself, hearing the front door open followed by the sound of clawed feet scampering across the hardwood floor.

"Puppy!" Daniel cried, seeing the fat bulldog jump into Vaughn's lap, licking his face a hundred times before he managed to get pushed to the floor.

"Dan, this Donovan."

The dog was an instant best friend, slobbering all over the boy's hands and managing to eat half of his Popsicle before Danny could notice. Feeding him the rest, Vaughn grabbed another from the freezer before moving everyone out to the back yard.

"Syd and Nadi home yet?"

"Nah, they're shopping."

"We should go to the beach."

"Beach?" Danny called from the center of the small yard, laying in the grass and wrestling with the dog.

"I think that with the zoo and the queue tonight maybe we should take it easy. I don't think he's in that good of shape to be able to do all of this stuff. He's winded already and that's just from running around the yard with Donovan." Vaughn looked to where Danny was resting with his head using the dog's stomach as a pillow, looking up at the sky. Donovan was all too happy to have someone to play with, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

"We're home!" Syd's voice echoed out to the backyard, Vaughn answering as she and Nadia walked back with several bags in her arms.

"How much did you buy?" Weiss grunted as he watched them set the bags on the ground around the table.

"Enough. When did he get up from his nap?" Syd asked, seeing Danny once against jumping around with Donovan.

"About fifteen minutes ago. He had another nightmare. There were some tears, but that was it. Doesn't at all sound like what he went through at the foster house."

Sydney's cell went off, and she reached into her pocket.

"Hello?"

"Agent Bristow, this is Dr. Hollier. We've got in Danny's blood work, and he's a very sick little boy. I spoke with Adrienne Eisman, and she told me that you and Agent Vaughn are taking care of him tonight. I'm calling to tell you to bring him in immediately."

* * *


	17. Chapter 17: Turning Point

Chapter 17: Turning Point

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The last two hours had flown by, Sydney and Vaughn pacing restlessly in the waiting room of the local CIA operated Children's Hospital. Danny had been transferred shortly after their arrival at APO, the doctors explaining that their equipment wasn't enough to make a complete diagnosis of Danny's sickness.

Danny's sickness. That's what they kept calling it. The doctors used the excuse that they needed to run more tests before they could tell them exactly what was wrong with the boy, and Sydney was growing impatient.

"Vaughn…it's been two hours. They had to have found _something _out by now."

"Syd, we just need to wait. Because we're not his biological or adoptive parents were on a need to know basis." Vaughn stilled his movements and flopped down in the closest chair, catching Sydney on the next pass she made and effectively sliding her down onto his lap. They sat quietly, waiting for any news, his hand rubbing soothing circles into her upper arm.

"Miss. Bristow? Mr. Vaughn?" a voice startled them from their depressed reverie as they Sydney jumped quickly up to allow Vaughn to rise.

"You're the caretakers of Daniel Rien, correct?"

"Well, not entirely. We're in the process of working our way through the papers, but it's going to take a little while."

"Well, since you're considering adoption, follow me and I'll catch you up on everything." He led the way to a small back office, Sydney looking into the glass of each room they passed, but Danny wasn't lying on any of the beds they passed. Sitting in two scarcely comfortable chairs across from the desk, the doctor finally extended his hand out to each of them before sitting on the edge of his desk.

"My name is Dr. Parson and the situation with Danny is bordering on critical."

"What _is_ wrong with him?" Sydney interjected, trying to keep the man from beating around the bush any longer than necessary.

"Well, we've found several places where he was injected with something unknown, but the thing that scares us most is the areas or dispersion. The sternum seems to have been penetrated as well as the pelvic region at the small of his back. These areas are most often used to facilitate bone marrow transplants, biopsies, and bone marrow aspirations."

The doctor paused, flipping through the file resting on his knee before looking back at he couple across the room.

"We believe that Danny may have some sort of bone marrow disease, possibly even a cancer, but looking at the records from his previous orphanage in London suggests that these problems were non-existent last year."

"Are you suggesting that during Daniel's internment in Russia he was injected with diseased bone marrow?"

"It's possible. If the person holding him had advanced knowledge of Danny's blood type the new marrow would take hold and begin to grow, effectively killing all unaffected cells. All of this is speculation right now, we're going to need to take a sample as well as a biopsy to do further analysis, but I'm happy we found this now before a chance at recovery is removed completely from the picture." Standing, the doctor led them to the door and back out into the hallway to a secluded room three doors down.

"He's in here, and slightly sedated. But the procedure to remove marrow is extremely painful, especially if the area had previously been affected, which with him is the case. We're going to try our best to make it comfortable, but I believe you should be with him anyway, just for support. I'll give you a few minutes before I bring in the nurse and take a sample, so you may want to try and explain to him what's going to happen." With a professional nod he turned and headed back leaving Sydney and Vaughn unsteady in the hallway.

"How are we going to do this?" Vaughn asked lightly, seeing her flinch.

"I don't know how you explain to someone who's been through so much that these doctors need to poke him in the same exact place as the people that held him captive. Regardless of how we do it, it's not going to be easy." She peered in through the window, seeing him lying with wide eyes on the bed while watching some cartoons on the TV mounted to the wall.

"Let's just tell him the truth, up to a point. I mean…there's going to be plenty he's not going to understand, but we'll just be careful with what we tell him." She nodded and opened the door, seeing his gaze immediately redirect.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?"

"Fuzzy…" he muttered, reaching out to her as they each perched on separate edges of his small bed.

"Fuzzy? Well, there's a reason for that. Danny, you're very sick, okay? The doctor's are going to come back in and sort of give you a shot where you got one before okay? It's going to hurt, but we'll both be right here."

"Can I hold your thumb?" He asked, taking said object into his hand without waiting for a reply from her.

Smiling lightly, she ran her hand through his hair as he reached out for Vaughn's finger as well.

"What kind of sick?" his voice was tiny and they each had to lean forward to catch his question.

"Well, they think they're something wrong with your blood. There's these little things that float around inside of us call cells, and they're going to take some out of you to study them." Vaughn tried to explain blood cells, bone marrow, and lymph's to the small child, knowing that it may be all in vain.

"What is study?"

"Study means just to look at. After they're done looking at your blood then they're going to give you medicine that will make you all better." Sydney finished, seeing the child's eyes fight to stay open. "Sweetie, you have to stay awake, okay? I know the medicine they gave you is making you tired, but it's going to help when they come back in." She reached over, sitting him up a little higher as he leaned closer, pulling her over, his head resting against her shoulder. They sat in silence, Sydney rubbing her fingers through his hair and Vaughn massaging the back of his small hand with the pad of his thumb. The light sounds of the cartoon he had been watching floated around the room, but the three were content to ignore everything surrounding them until the door opened and three doctors walked in.

"Hello Daniel, we're here to help you okay? There's no reason to be afraid."

"Sydney and Vaughn stay…" he ordered, burrowing his face farther into her throat as she pulled away slightly, sitting him up.

"Of course, I wouldn't ask them to leave. Can you lay him on his side please?" he asked, Sydney automatically turning the little boy to face her. "Mr. Vaughn, if you could sit near his feet and...keep him from moving about," he left the sentence off, not wanting to use the words 'restrain' or 'hold him down' in front of the scared child.

"Okay, we're going to make the spot where we're going to take the shot really cold, okay pal?" The proceeded to numb the flesh, causing Danny to jump and cling to Sydney, Vaughn automatically holding his hand tightly to seem reassuring as well as hold him in place.

"Okay, here we go. We need you to hold on to Sydney as tight as you can, and squeeze Michael's hand." They proceeded to punch through the skin, pushing the special needle through the hard layer of outer bone and into the squishy viscous marrow. He cried out, tears running across the bridge of his nose and his temple, the pillow soaking them up quickly.

Sydney whispered soothing words to him until the painful process was over and the doctors moved back. "We're going to sign his up for a chest x-ray to examine his lymph, just so we can account for everything. We'll let him rest a bit, possibly do it later tonight. Come with me for a moment, we'll talk about what going to happen." He held the door open as Vaughn and Sydney wrestled out of the boy's grip.

"We're going to be right back okay? We're just going to talk to the doctor outside." Sydney relaxed him with a hand to his chest, setting a kiss to his forehead and wiping away his tears before joining Vaughn and Dr. Hollier in the hallway.

"We're going to sedate him for the x-ray. We're going to need him to lay still for up to ten minutes and it's not possible for you to be in the room with him, so I think it's the best way. We'll hook him up with an IV, make sure he gets hydrated and slide him into the 6:00 slot we have open. Until then, you're more than welcome to stay with him."

"We should head to work and explain our situation, but we'll be back around 6:00. Thanks for everything, Dr. Hollier, we appreciate it." Vaughn could feel the heat from Sydney's glare as they were left alone once more in the hallway. "Syd, we need to talk to Sloane. We'll get the rest of the information about Danny tonight, there's nothing we can do now, but they may have new intel that we could benefit from hearing."

"Fine…" she grumbled, seeing the nurse inside hooking up another bag to filter the sedative in with the water drip. She saw his eyes close, knowing he'd be asleep for the rest of the day. Wordlessly she curled her fingers into Vaughn's, letting him lead the way out of the hospital and over to the car.

"So you're signing the papers? Both of you?" Jack and Sloane sat in Arvin's office staring incredulously at the couple in front of them.

"Well…not exactly. Vaughn is going to pursue any leads to get Evan and Ryan Anderson behind bars, and then he'll join Danny and me where ever we're relocated." Sydney's voice was calm and collected, but the grip that she had on Vaughn's hand was born of desperation.

"This decision, Sydney, is of course yours, but my first instinct is to reject this request."

"You can reject it all you want; it's still going to happen. Danny's in the hospital now, possibly with some disease or cancer that Anderson imposed on his body. He's going to need twenty-four hour care, regardless if he ends up with horrible test results or not. I'm going to give him that. I'm done with it; I'm through. Vaughn and I have talked about it, and until they're kept from harming any more children with their psychotic experiments he'll stay on the case."

"Sydney…"

"No dad. This is how it's going to be." She turned, looking at her father for the first time since her speech, seeing the concern and hurt in his eyes.

"If you do this, you may never see us again. Dixon, Weiss, Eric? Your family? Nadia and me? What if they're never brought to justice? There are extenuating circumstances that you haven't accounted for here." Jack tried to reason with his daughter, yet with the determination he was seeing on her face, he knew his odds were less than profitable.

"Well…of course we will start immediately. Give me the papers and we'll go from there. With the results of the boys tests, ask the doctor which facility outside of California will best suit his needs, and once we've garnished that information we'll decide on where you'll be sent. Know that you won't have to worry about money or finding a place to live, we'll take care of everything. If you're sure…" Sloane paused for the last time, waiting for their final decision.

Sydney looked over at Vaughn, seeing his reassuring smirk before facing the man that had been the cause of far too much strife throughout her existence in the world of intelligence.

"We're sure."

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is. All of the information about the cancer and what not was found at  merely because I really didn't know enough about it to make it up and get everything right.

-Jean


	18. Chapter 18: Yellow Brick Road

A/N: I know I said we should just ignore what happened with Alias…but I really love the plots that JJ Abrams is bringing up; Jack being sick, Elena resurfacing. So…let's just set things straight. Jack is sick, and being the typical Bristow still hasn't shared anything with Syd, and Vaughn is going to pursue leads to his father as well as going after the Andersons. Everyone caught up?? Good. Here we go!

Chapter 18: Yellow Brick Road

* * *

Jack stood quickly and Sydney could see the anger written on his face. "Could I have a moment alone with my daughter please?" He all but oozed command as Sloan and Vaughn rose, a knowing smirk on the older mans face while concern was shining in Vaughn's eyes. "Now." Jack barked, seeing Michael squeeze Sydney's shoulder before exiting the office.

The silence that followed threatened to suffocate both Bristow's as the elder stared down at the younger. Sydney's eyes fixed on the table in front of her before looking up at meeting her father's sturdy gaze.

"You know you can't do this."

"Watch me." She challenged, standing, refusing to lose the staring contest with a man only she knew how to fully deal with.

"Sydney, I'm only looking out for you, as I've done your whole life, but taking this child in is a mistake. Do you know how long this investigation Vaughn will be in the middle of will take? It could be years. You know that with your past in SD-6."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, I know what I'm doing. You told me once that all you ever wanted for me was to have a normal life, well…dad…that wasn't only your dream. I'm still devoted to my country; I just…can't do this anymore. I can't go into tactical situations and see children used in experiments without that having some sort of an effect on me." She moved away slightly, folding her arms over her stomach as her classic defense mechanism kicked in.

"Sydney…what if something happens? To Nadia or me…or Vaughn?"

"I don't know."

"Well you need to know. You have to look clearly at each situation before jumping to an apparent way out. You do that far too often for the experience you've had. You've made wrong decisions before that caused immeasurable damage to those around you…don't make that mistake again." He turned, stalking from the office with a more concealed anger as she slumped back into the chair she'd so willingly vacated.

Her mind was a blur of activity, trying to quickly absorb all of the things her father had just said. Deep inside she knew he was right, but a small voice also fought to be heard. What right did she have to bring little Danny into her life? Would it end the same way as her engagement with Danny Hecht? She shuddered to think at the many people around the world that would like nothing more than to see Sydney Bristow suffer. If she left the agency, she wouldn't necessarily have to change her identity, but their vulnerability clouded the issue.

It wouldn't be hard to start up another life somewhere. To patiently wait for Vaughn to finish his assignment and meet them wherever they settled. Start Danny in preschool, maybe put her degree to good use and teach at the local college or high school. Such thoughts weren't even plausible two weeks ago, not to say they weren't thought of, but life for her seemed to find its own way of screwing her over.

She felt Vaughn's hands caress her neck lightly, moving her hair out of the way to press a kiss behind her ear.

"What did your dad say? I was going to have Marshall hook up a tap to listen, but I thought that would be pushing it." He tried to pry a smile from her, moving to sit on the edge of the table and taking her hand into his. "Sloane wants his office back. Wanna go out for dinner?" He asked, bringing her hand up to his lips, looking over at her with apprehensive green eyes.

"Can we go home and eat? I think we should probably talk. You're the one person I need to talk to about this situation the most and I haven't even considered to ask you your input." She grumbled and stood, letting herself be willingly pulled into the circle of his arms and legs.

"Ya, we can go home." He leaned forward, catching her lips with a gentle kiss before they were interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

Arvin stood in the doorway, an unusual smile on his face as he watched the couple disengage and make their way slowly out of the office. The walk to the car through the station was silent, and only when Vaughn's cell rang did any other form of communication take place, other than Michael's soft caress against her hand.

"Vaughn." He answered professionally, hearing Weiss' sigh through his ear.

"What the hell's going on? All you tell us is the doctor wanted to see Danny immediately, and we've been waiting for nearly two hours for a phone call."

"Sorry _dad_, we've been busy. Are you still at Syd and Nadia's place?"

"Nah, we grabbed some of Nadi's stuff and will be staying at Weiss' Resort of Love."

"Very cute. Well, apparently Danny was exposed to cancerous tissue in some of the experiments he was subjected to…but the doctor said that we might have caught it before it's spread. Hopefully. Syd and I have a lot to sort out…then you and I are going to need to sit down and talk about, well…about some important things."

"You're doing it aren't you?"

"Ya…but…there are circumstances you don't know about it."

"Bull. Call when you want to talk." Eric's usually friendly voice ended with a growl and a click, the resulting dial tone letting Vaughn know that he was finished with the conversation.

"Dammit." He growled, closing the phone and sliding it back into his pockets, realizing they weren't walking any longer and happened to be standing in front of the car. Sydney was patiently leaning against the locked door with a compassionate look as she waited for Vaughn to come back to his surroundings.

"Weiss mad?"

"Beyond mad…he sounded so angry, and then hung up."

"Come on, we'll talk to him and Nadi later…right now we need to sort things out ourselves."

He clicked the button, the doors automatically unlocking as they drove back to the apartment.

"Now assuming that you'll have APO's help with locating the Anderson's, it shouldn't take too long. Hopefully within six months to a year. This, I must say, will be the longest six months of my life."

"Syd…your dad was right. I mean…what if it takes longer?"

"Well, we can give them a time frame…"

"Ya, you know how well time frames work in the intelligence world." He laughed, pressing his lips against her shoulder.

"Vaughn, we've got to get this paper work done, and it's almost six." She reminded, looking over at the clock on the mantel.

"So, we need to come up with some means of communication. I mean…you know for a fact that once I'm relocated, I'll be unable to contact anyone from APO. We need a system."

"Online seems to be the only thing I can thing of. I'm sure I can have Marshall set something up on my computer so I can have some kind of secure conversation."

"We use Marshall way too much." She grinned, leaning forward and kissing him lightly.

"Syd…we have to finish this paperwork." He too her works with a laugh, feeling more than seeing her shove him away and stand to stretch her arms over her head.

"We're almost done. Come on, let's make out until we have to leave." She giggled, sliding onto his lap as he immediately lost the desire to work, his hand dropping the pen in the process of holding against his body. Her hands gripped his shoulders while his slid around her waist, inching their way up the back of her shirt and massaging the soft skin beneath. His mouth bypassed her lips, planting a steady stream of kisses from her chin, along her jaw, and down the column of her throat. Her sighed groan as all it took for him to pull her closer, forcing her to straddle his waist before settling his lips on the racing pulse point of her neck.

"Vaughn…we have absolutely no time to finish this. Don't start something if you can't follow through…" she warned, her fingers threading through his spiky hair in an attempt to alleviate some of the lust that was beginning to well at her center.

"Oh, I'll be fine." He murmured against her collar bone, taking a minute to lick at the flavored spot of skin where she dabbed her perfume on each morning.

"Ya, but if it was you I was worried about I wouldn't have said anything." She sighed, leaning in and setting her cheek against his shoulder, her body relaxing though desire still coursed through her veins.

Vaughn stopped his ministrations, rubbing her back lightly as he held her against his chest, feeling desire and passion still crackling through the air, but it was slowly being transformed into intimacy. Some of his favorite moments of the day were merely sitting and holding her, sometimes in the early mornings if he managed to wake before she did.

"I think that this will be the thing I'll miss the most in those months apart." Her voice was lower than a whisper, more like a breath of air with words as she turned her head, her nose pressing against his neck as she closed her eyes, reveling in the time spent in his arms.

"Me too. But…we don't know how long we have until you're relocated. The process could take weeks, maybe months. We've got time."

She reluctantly pulled away, offering her his mhand while helping him up. They gathered their things and made their way to the hospital.

"Eric, you're overreacting."

"No I'm not Nadi, you're underreacting."

"That's not even a word." She tried to lighten the mood as she unpacked some of her things in the adjacent bathroom, seeing Weiss slumped on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

"You know that any decision they make that they'll run it by us first." She encouraged and moved to sit next to him and her hand rubbing his shoulders.

"We've been friends for so long, Nadi. I mean…Mike and I go way back. And Syd is like my sister." He voiced, slightly surprised at how serious he was being.

"We're not going to lose them. You know how much Sydney and Vaughn love to break the rules. They'll find a way to contact us, Eric." She placed a small kiss to his chin, cheek, and finally his mouth. He responded quickly to her kisses, hoping to lose himself as he pulled her closer by wrapping an arm securely around her waist.

His mouth slanted over hers, deepening the kiss as his tongue sought entrance to her mouth. He switched their positions quickly, Nadia finding herself below him faster than she thought he could maneuver. Keeping most of his weight on his arms, he propped himself above her lithe frame.

She grinned as she wrapped her legs around his calves, pushing her hips against his own, feeling the rush of air from his lungs and fan her cheek.

"Nadi…are you sure about this?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." She promised, reaching up and lifting the shirt over his head. She was slightly surprised by what she saw. Though he always joked about needing to lose weight and build a better body, it wasn't impossible to see the definition of his chest and abs, though slightly padded. He had relatively well-built shoulders and muscled arms.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Look…I may not be as hot as Mike, but I've got a lot he doesn't."

"I can see that." She grinned, wrapping her hands around his torso as one of his own made his way to the front of her button up shirt. Starting at the bottom, he made his way up after searching the skin beneath each of the small round items. His fingers settled over the button holding her shirt closed across her breasts when his cell phone rang.

"You have freaking got to be kidding me!" He snarled, rolling away from her as she sighed, re-buttoning her shirt as he rifled through his discarded jacket pockets before finding the ringing object.

"What!" he shouted, ignoring Nadia's chuckle as he sat up, reaching out for his shirt.

"Eric, look, I'm sorry. I didn't exactly handle the situation well before."

"Dude, I was a jerk. Look…this isn't exactly the best time to talk…"

"No, I needed to. Syd and I have talked about a lot of things, and we're over at the hospital. The doc says it'll be another hour before the test results are in, so Syd and I wanted to know if you and Nadi would meet us down here to talk." He heard rustling, recognizing the sound of clothing being quickly put on. "Oh. Ohhhh…umm…if you're too busy then it can wait."

"No you ass. We'll be there in a few minutes. We didn't get too far…never do because of you people." He growled and hung up, looking over at Nadia as she pulled her shoes on, a slight blush still on her face.

"Well…that was nice. We should definitely do that more often." He pulled his shirt back on as she laughed, following him out the door.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19: Grass is Blue, Sky is Green

A/N: So, as I was reading through the last chapter…I realized that I totally screwed up the doctors names. Dr. Hollier is the doc at APO. Dr. Parson is the doc at the CIA hospital. Just to clear things up, and I'm sorry for not seeing it sooner! Surprised you guys didn't catch me.

Chapter 19: Grass is blue, sky is green

* * *

Danny's world slowly came into focus, and his eyes searched the room quickly. The last thing her remembered was Sydney saying she and Vaughn would be right back, then a vague shadow of people moving him from his old room into a large metal tube – though he couldn't really remember too many details. He was still hooked up to an IV at the back of his hand, and a constant beep seemed to surround him. The first thing he felt was a soothing hand run through his hair, and a tiny smile graced his mouth before he turned and look to where Sydney was seated beside his bed.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?"

"I still feel kinda fuzzy." He muttered, pushing himself up until he was slightly resting above the pillow. "Can I sit on your lap?" his voice was tiny, looking over at Sydney with a worried glance, as if he was waiting for her to say no.

"Well…we probably shouldn't, but let's do it anyway." She grinned, moving from her chair to the edge of the bed, taking a seat. She made sure he didn't pull at anything connected as she helped him onto her lap, seeing him recline with his back to her chest and his head resting on her shoulder. "Comfy?"

"Mmhmm." He sighed, gripping the finger of her hand across his stomach as the other continued to run lazy paths through his hair.

"Danny, we need to have a pretty important talk okay? Do you feel up to it?" she asked lightly, seeing Vaughn peek in through the window, Nadia and Weiss standing behind him. They had talked as a group for nearly an hour before Danny's doctor came out and told them that the x-ray and the MRI went just fine, and that he was in another room.

"Weiss and Nadi are heading home, they'll come over tomorrow." Vaughn whispered, walking in and seeing the two cuddled together.

"Talk about what?" Danny asked, waiting until Vaughn was close enough for him to pull the other agent onto the bed.

"Well, to make a long story short, you're going to live with Vaughn and me."

"For always?"

"Yep. You're now and official member of the Bristow-Vaughn family." Michael grinned, seeing the beaming face of the little boy in front of him.

"You're gonna be my mommy and daddy?" he would have jumped for joy if he wasn't sitting on Sydney's lap and hooked up to the machines and th IV at the side of the bed.

"Ya. But, some things are going to be weird. Vaughn is going to stay here to try and catch the mad people that did this to you, so it'll just be you and me for a little while." Sydney met Vaughn's eyes, seeing his reassuring smile as Danny calmed instantly, looking up at Michael.

"But…but you'll come soon right?"

"Well…as soon as I can. I promise."

The moment was interrupted by Sydney's cell phone, Vaughn's ringing a moment after hers.

"Hello?"

"Sydney, we found something interesting with Daniel's blood work and his paper work. We'll need you and Vaughn in here immidiately." Jack's voice boomed through her earpiece, as Vaughn received the same intel on his phone from some one else, she assumed Sloane.

"We'll be there soon." Closing the phone, she saw the worried look on Danny's face. Kissing his forehead, Vaughn helped him off of her lap and back down onto the pillows. "We've got to go in to work, sweetie, but we'll come back after. You just get some rest."

"Promise?"

"Promise." They said simultaneously, seeing Vaughn swtich on some cartoons before they left the room.

"Do you think it's good news or bad news?"

"Please; with our jobs?" she grinned up at him, taking his hand in hers as they made their way through the winding corridors of the hospital and out to the sunny front entrance.

"With the results of Daniel's blood tests, we've located his parents."

The single sentence made both Sydney and Vaughn collapse into the chairs behind them.

"He's got parents? But…I mean, we've signed the papers, he's our son."

"Sydney, his parents are both dead. I took the liberty of having Marshall check all of the records of the London City Orphanage, and they've got no knowledge or records of a boy named Daniel Rien."

"How is that possible? We have the paperwork from the warehouse in Kirov."

"If…if I may." Marshall stood and laid out the paperwork Nadia had taken from Russia. "These papers are a lot like the ones they have at London City, but there's one difference. If you look…the signature of the Director…" the computer terminal in front of them flashed as the image of the older man appeared. "Isn't the name of the man running the facility. It's the name of Daniel's biological father. James Ryan."

"Wait, their names aren't spelled the same. What's the backstory on James?" Sydney asked, sitting up in her chair and taking a closer look at the image before her.

"Well, we searched everything we have on him, but it turns out that he and his wife were associates with Evan and Ryan Anderson. They owned several businesses fronted by the money that the Andersons gave them. Weird huh? I mean…if we have anything to go on…"

"The Andersons killed their associates and stole their son for their experiments." Vaughn finished.

"Well…without…without any other information it sure does look that way. But…here's the ingenious part. Every single kid they took, well, adopted, they each had the same blood type."

Sloane took the floor, lifting the remote into his hand as an image of Ryan and his wife popped up on the screen. "It seems that Evan Anderson is suffering from a unique type of cancer. If the cells from her body are transferred into a growing child, then mutated, it's possible that a cure could be made."

"So…what? Mr. Anderson and his wife are trying to find a cure for cancer by murdering children? I don't buy it." Vaughn leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest in thought.

"We have a contact that sent in this information early this morning. Roland Zimmerman worked with the CIA for ten years until he was placed into the SIS in England. Apparantly they've been searching out the Anderson's just as we have." Sloan slid an image to the two of them, letting them see the contact.

"When we hear anything, we'll let you know." Jack smiled his usual crisp, 'all done here' tone of voice as they moved to exit the room.

"Sydney, have you talked to the doctor about Daniel? Which facility outside of Los Angeles are they looking at?"

"The doctor hasn't said too much about moving him, but he's talked about Dallas, Denver, or Charleston. It's up to him to pick, but how much time are you looking at?" she asked, feeling Vaughn tense up next to her.

"Well, the minimum would be three weeks to get everything set up, paperwork, finding you a home and a job until Agent Vaughn would be able to join you. Until then, there should be no communication between the two of you, or anyone from this office." Giving them a look that clearly stated he knew that this single rule would be the first to break in the Bristow-Vaughn house.

"The papers you sent in have been evaluated and confirmed. Daniel is free to go home with you when you wish. That'll be all, we'll be in touch." Sloane officially dismissed them, leaving the couple sitting in the conference room alone.

"Well…it was good news and bad news." Vaughn grinned, pulling Sydney's hand to his lips as she smiled over at him.

The situation at the hospital was much the same as it was before they left. Daniel was resting quietly, and even though the smell of McDonalds filled the air. They ate quietly, the silence only being broken by the doctor entering the room.

"Good evening. Daniel shouldn't wake up for the rest of the night, and I'm sure you're both tired, but I was wondering if I could talk to you in private." Dr. Parson asked lightly, his voice soft and unthreatening to the couple as well as the sleeping child.

"Of course." They jumped up quickly, shuffling out of the room until they were once again in his office.

"Well, I've poured over several of the facilities that we mentioned, and neither Dallas or Charleston have equiptment in support of Daniel's specific needs, so it seems that Denver will be your best choice. What is the time you're looking at? I'd like to set up Danny for some sessions to check the best method of treatment for his illness." Sitting at his desk he pulled out a file from a cabinet to the left of his padded chair.

"Well, they said that the earliest would be three weeks, so I suppose we should get him into treatment just to start things off. What are you reccommending?" Sydney asked, crossing her legs as Vaughn mimicked her stance in a less femanine fashion.

"Well, I was thinking chemotherapy with some mixed radiation may be the cure for this. With Daniel's contamination it's slightly different than a regularly affected child. Where Daniel was exposed to unhealthy amounts of cancer-ridden cells, most children suffering from childhood cancers have a tougher time. With Danny we may be able to remove as much of the cells as possible from the affected region by way of biopsey, which is not too pleasant, but it will be helpful in the healing process. Now because we cought this as an early stage, there shouldn't be any reason to think that he won't fully recover from this." He smiled, hearing the collective escape of air that neither of the adults were aware of holding in.

"What about his x-rays? Or the CAT scan and MRI, did that reveal anything?"

"No, his lymph are unaffected. Though it seems that some of the damaged cells are generating enough of a concern for his immune functions to kick in. Basically, his body believes he's fighting off a severe cold. Hopefully his immune system will aid us rather than shut down, which can be a factor for some patients. Danny seems like a strong kid though, so everything should turn out okay. I'd like to keep him here overnight, just for observation and possibly one last series of small biopsies, then again every three days for his treatments until you leave. We'll talk more about the medicines I'm going to order in the future. Until then, let him be a kid, you know? It's perfectly fine for him to rough house and wrestle, just let him know that he has limits. Don't let him overdue it."

"Thank you so much, you've been so quick and helpful through this whole thing. I hope we have a doctor like you in Denver." Sydney smiled, dimples showing full-force as they rose and each shook the doctors hand before he led them back to Daniel's room. The boy still hadn't moved, soaking up all the sleep he could get.

"Hey…I know you're going to say no, but…know that I will use any force necessary…" Vaughn's whispers penetrated her thoughts as he wrapped his hand around her upper arm. "I think we should head home, give him quiet and time to rest while we get some of our own. We're going to need it…and…if you don't mind me saying, I think I need some alone time with you." He pulled out his boyish grin, seeing the conflict in her eyes as she debated leaving with Vaughn or sitting by the child's bedside all night only to have a stiff neck in the morning from twelve hours in an uncomfortable hospital chair.

"Okay…let's go home." She aquiesced quickly, seeing the surprise on Vaughn's face as she let herself be pulled into his embrace. "Don't look at me like that…I probably would have agreed anyway. It's been a long day."

Taking her hand and each placing a light kiss to the boy's forehead, Sydney taking slightly longer to push her hand softly through his hair, they exited and made their way out of the white, pristine building.

"Alone time huh?" she turned with a soft smile, seeing him return it in full.

"Yea. Alone time."

* * *


	20. Chapter 20: Alone Time

A/N: There's a reference to my other fic in this chapter, called Too Much to Remember. I would really recommend reading it before you delve into this chapter, but it's not completely necessary. You may not know the background on the Sydney Box…but that's about it. You can find it at my profile page.

Chapter 20: Alone Time Part 1

* * *

"I can't stop thinking about Danny…"

"Nadia…you're thinking about a four year old boy while I'm sucking on your neck?" Weiss pulled away, his expression something akin to complete shock and annoyment.

Shoving him back against the couch with a grunt, she clambered out from underneath him with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I just think it's sad for him to have to experience this kind of thing. He's so young. Then, when I think about that situation I begin to wonder about Sydney and Vaughn…"

"Woah woah." He interrupted. "I might be able to imagine you thinking about Sydney, you are after all two beautiful women, but you thinking about Mike isn't the hottest image to flash in my brain."

"Honestly, is your libido all you can focus on? Hasn't it crossed your mind tonight at all about what decision they made?" She moved to the kitchen, stirring the entree with a huff as she saw him flop his head back on the worn cushion of the old couch.

"You know…here we have a night with no interruptions, and we're talking about Syd and Mike. We talked to them for like, two hours today. Didn't you resolve anything with her when you guys hung out?" he asked, making his way to the kitchen and sitting at the counter, trying desperately to ignore the aching tighteness of his jeans.

She turned, walking over to the counter top and beginning to chop several of the vegetables they would be having in the stew she was preparing. "Syd and I did talk, but I mean, mostly I was her soundboard and she was mine. She told me the problems she was having at the moment – with Vaughn, Danny, her father, and even with me."

"So nothing about me?"

"Shut up. It was just sister-talk, I really only got out of her that they were deciding to sign the papers together. Whether or not that means that they're planning on leaving APO at the same time, I don't know. What did Vaughn say?" she looked up, seeing his eyes focused not on her own, or even on her face, but solely infatuated with the reddish-purple mark he had inflicted on the side of her neck. "Weiss? Eric!" she called, reaching out and smacking him lightly in the cheek.

"What? Oh…nothin'. Guy stuff, I guess."

"Guy stuff? What, like hockey? He didn't mention their plans at all?"

"Nadi, he just didn't want to say anything until he and Syd had made their final decision."

"Doesn't that bother you? That he's your best friend and yet told you nothing?"

"Not really." He smiled, munching on the end of an un-chopped carrot.

"How can you be so sure about this? What if they walk out and never come back?" tears gathered in her eyes as she snagged an onion up from the pile of raw vegetables, trying in vain to blame the veggie for the condensation gathering against her eye lashes.

"Oh Nadi, weren't you the one earlier telling me that they wouldn't ever leave us? That no matter what they'd find a way to stay in touch?" he asked, moving around to pull her into his arms, her head finding her usual spot against his sturdy chest.

A muffled 'yea' drifted to his ears, and his hands moved smoothly over the fabric of her light shirt. "Then why are you crying?"

"Onion…"

"Nadi…" he laughed, pulling back and cupping her cheeks in his large hands.

"You know Eric, the one thing I love the most about you is your hands." She deftly changed the subject, tilting her cheek farther into the palm of his hand as he grinned.

"Just my hands? Ouch. Way to crush the male pride there angel-baby." He leaned forward, his lips dancing with hers as he wrapped her gently into his arms.

"Well…I haven't tried anything else out." She murmured against his lips, feeling him chuckle as well as hearing him through the pumping blood in her ears.

"Come on then. I'll give you the full tour, and we can rehead the stew when we get hungry or come up for air." Sending his mouth back down over hers, he flipped off the stove and dragged her behind him toward the bedroom.

* * *

"Vaughn you're sure you're okay with this right? I mean…you didn't just sign the papers because you knew I was going to no matter what, did you?"

She finally broke the ten minute silence in the car as they pulled up to her apartmen, noticing that the lights were all off from the front window.

"Syd…you know I wouldn't just give in like that. It's a big step, I agree; becoming a family and leaving the life that we've been a part of for so long, but I just think this is a step that we needed to take. I mean, we'd want out eventually, right? Why not take the opportunity now while it's here?" he reassured as he put the car into park, taking her hand and sitting quiet for a few minutes before he began.

"Danny is a very special little boy. I can see it just as you can. At first, yes…I only signed the adoption stuff because I couldn't bear for you to leave me again."

"Vaughn…I never left you. At least not willingly…"

"I know." He interrupted, keeping a light pressure on her hand to let her know that he wasn't going to be derailed from saying what he thought needed to be said. "It wasn't like I could come home and get into a fight after a long day, and then have us eventually break up and find the time to gradually grow apart from one another. You know, just let the feelings drift farther away…but that's not how it happened. Everything went so quickly, Syd…the fire - you being gone."

She unbuckled her belt and pulled a leg up against her chest as she set her chin to her knee, knowing this was going to be the talk they'd been avoiding for months since Lauren's death and their reunion after beginning their work with APO. She kept a steady hold on his hand, though she doubted he'd even noticed her move. His mind was a million miles away as he forced himself back into the painful memories from nearly three years ago.

"Weiss and I had been sitting at the office all day – in the rotunda, and he'd noticed that I'd been distracted. I finally broke and told him that I was planning on asking you to marry me. He said it was about time and we went about our business, but two weeks later I was still too afraid to do it, and he called my bluff. At the shooting range none-the-less. So I finally sat down and got serious, planning the trip in Santa Barbara and then asking you if you'd ever been as a set-up. Then things went crazy with your mom, and finally I had one last meeting before we went on vacation." She heard him, as well as saw him, swallow the lump beginning to form in his throat.

"It was Weiss that called me in the middle of the meeting with Kendall and your father – he said nothing in the way of what was going on, only 'Get to Syd's now.' He hung up after that, and I immidiately apologized and made up some excuse. Driving to your apartment…I could tell something was wrong. The absolute desperation in Weiss' voice…the way that I was trying to ignore the smoke from what had to be either your apartment or one close to you…and then I saw it. It was…it was your house caught up in a giant ball of flames - and I couldn't move. I couldn't even think, Syd."

That was the first time he'd looked up at her, mostly just watching his fingers rub at the steering wheel. She could see the tears in his eyes, and knew for a fact that they wouldn't be the same after this conversation. He was finally breaking everything to her just as he used to before everything went to hell.

"It wasn't until Weiss noticed me just sitting in my car and until the fire was out before I could react. They had to hold me back, claiming that the building was too unstable at the moment for anyone to enter safely, but I really wasn't paying attention. I saw them roll Will out on a stretcher, claiming that he'd come-to and crawled out through an open window into the grass of the backyard." His face had moved back down to the steering wheel, though his hands were relatively still.

"I tried to ask him where you were…what had happened…but Will was incoherent from blood loss and medication. I had to ask three different people about where you were until the chief saw me and said that two bodies remained inside, too badly burned for identification. I think – I think deep down I knew. I knew that it was you and Francie…or someone that had attacked you. Either way, since I was the one to drop you off…it couldn't have been anyone but you. I remember every single little step I took into that burned and gutted apartment." A tear dropped silently, neither of them noticing as he continued.

Though this was just another story from her missing two years, and she'd heard countless tales, this particular rendering was different. She knew from talking with Eric that Vaughn had nearly driven himself to the ends of the depression scale for nearly six months after her "death", and she'd also heard from his own lips that her absence nearly killed him; but hearing him talk so intimately about it was a new experience for her.

"I remember seeing everything in the house just completely broken, and I knew for a fact that it wasn't caused by the fire. You'd been fighting for your life against Allison, and I had been sitting in a meeting talking about my report from Mexico City. I know that you don't blame me for anything that happened, and I don't blame myself anymore, but it was still a haunting thought back then." He stated, hearing that she was about to speak up to his previous remark.

"Seeing the kitchen drawers thrown, the silverware scattered…your new coffee-table completely trashed…I knew that this fire wasn't just a mistake. Everything around me seemed to be a giant blur – I don't remember Weiss trying to get me to leave before I entered your bedroom, and I don't really remember actually making my way into the room…but there I was. Standing in the middle of the room that I'd spent so much time in with you. Times that meant the world to me, Sydney. The team had left the room to scan the samples they'd taken, and even after they were gone I wasn't alone. I saw your sand up mirror laying in pieces; the veranda doors completely shattered, and two body bags laying in the middle of the floor.

I tried, so hard, not to look at them because I knew what they meant. It wasn't unil they identified the bodies as Francine Calfo and Sydney Bristow that I lost it. I must have stayed there for close to two hours, well after they'd removed the bodies and stabalized the apartment. I don't really remember anything from the next few days until it was time for your funeral…and even that was a blur."

"I was there, Vaughn." She confessed, her own eyes leaving his stricken face and looking out the front window of the car. "I saw you scatter my ashes at sea."

"What? How…how could you…you remember this?" he asked, his eyes wide and confused.

"No, I really don't have any memory of it…it's just part of the story I told Kendall when I managed to get away from the Covenant nine months after I was taken."

"Wait…Kendall knew you weren't dead? Who else?" he was livid now, she could see it. "Why didn't you come to me? To your father? Why haven't you told me any of this? Do you actually know what happened to you those two years?"

"Vaughn…listen…after Kendall sort of kidnapped me to tell me everything, I didn't feel it was relevent for you to know." She turned to look at him, knowing he'd be angry at her revelation.

"Because of Lauren."

"Yes and no, but mostly yes. Lauren was still a big part of your life, and though we'd promised to try and make things work, I decided it was best that you didn't know any of this."

"Does Weiss know?"

"Yea…Eric's known for a while. Just so it gets said, I _did_ go find you to tell you I was alive nearly nine months after I'd been kidnapped and forced to work for the Covanent. I made them believe their brainwashing had worked just so I could get out of the torture. I told Kendall I was going to find you…find you and tell you that I was okay, and to ask you to wait for me. When I got to your place and I saw you with Lauren, I knew you'd moved on. Not to mention I noticed that the Covanent had been keeping tabs on you; a way of making sure they knew that in my right mind, I would never ever contact you unless I wanted you dead. To be honest, I'm kind of glad I don't remember anything. Hearing about it was bad enough, but having the memories…" she left off, feeling Vaughn sit stiffly next to her.

"I'm sorry I never told you." She whispered in the silence of the car, moving her eyes to her lap as Vaughn's fingers tightened between her own.

"I'm sorry I never listened." His voice was equally as quiet as he looked over at her, reaching up and cupping her chin and turning her head toward him.

The devotion and love she saw in his eyes made the tears she'd been desperately trying to hold back break free and cascade down her cheeks.

"I kept a box…of all your stuff that I had." His abrupt change of subject caught her off guard as she saw him reach into his back pocket and pull out his APO identification card. Though they weren't allowed to show them to anyone other than the workers and officers in the office, they had all received the ID as a way of making it official. Sydney hardly ever carried hers with her, but Vaughn – ever the boy scout – never left his too far away. She watched with curious and puffy eyes as he reached into one of the open spaces and pulled out a worn, crumpled picture. Handing it to her with trembling fingers she took it with care. Surprise etched her face as she saw it was a picture of them at the beach just standing in the surf and holding each other close.

"Eric's birthday…before I disappeared." She murmured, caressing the picture with a loving finger before looking up at him.

"Come here, I want to show you something." He gave her a heartfelt smile, getting out of the car and walking to her side before opening the door, pulling her up until they were unlocking the front door and walking into the cool and dark apartment.

"Wait here." He ordered softly, pushing her down into the cushions of the sofa after they each kicked their shoes off at the entryway. He left her for a moment, walking into the bedroom and to the back closet where she'd still been storing some unpacked boxes full of things Nadia had brought with her after moving in. On top was an insanely taped box with Sydney marked on top with a shaky handwriting. Letting out a deep breath, he picked it up and went to join Sydney in the living room.

"This is the box?"

"Yep. This is the Sydney Box as Weiss named it. He helped me pack it, kinda making sure that everything that went into it was packaged so it wouldn't break. I wasn't exactly in the right state of mind to pack things carefully. What I really wanted to do was burn it all or just throw it out because it was too painful to have around."

Pulling out his pocket knife, he deftly cut through the many layers of tape as Sydney still his hand before he had a chance to open it completely.

"Vaughn…you don't have to open it just because of me."

"Syd…you're back now, and you were always my favorite memory. Besides, I need to grab something in here." He smiled, opening it for the last time as the two of them emptied the box completely, going over each little picture, coffee cup, hair tie, all of it.

"Ah-ha." He grinned, seeing Sydney flipping through the few newspaper articles that had been thrown together after the fire.

"Syd, I know this is about three years too late, but I figure that if you'll still love me after everything I did to you when married to Lauren, you won't be able to say no now." His hands became sweaty as did his forehead, and she frowned slightly when she realized he was hiding something behind his back.

"Vaughn…what are you talking about?" Her smile was curious, yet surprise still made her eyes fly open as he knelt down beside the couch and opened the small, worn velvet jewelry box.

"Sydney…will you marry me?"

* * *

Eric was on cloud nine. Not only was Nadia in his room, in his bed, but they weren't just dancing around conversation and sleeping. Her moans were testament to that, and he'd been spending the better half of nearly fifteen minutes just getting himself in tune with her body. Every curve and every nook he was exploring with eager hands and his mouth. Her belly button was currently on the menu, and his tongue dipped into the small crevace as his fingers ran lightly down her toned sides and flat abdomen.

"Eric…" she sighed, her hair fanning out across his pillow as he looked up at her with sparkling eyes, seeing her own closed as her heavy breathing and flushed cheeks let him know that they would officially make it past third base.

Doing a happy dance in his head, her fingers threading through his hair brought him back to the present situation, and his mouth moved back up lightly, slimming his tongue over her pert nipples before blowing cold air over one peak before showering the other with the same attention. Her back arched, causing her stomach to pin his impatient erection between their two bodies.

He groaned, trying desperately to get his body to slow down, but apparantly his reasonable side was too used to getting pushed toward the back of his rationale. Soon, his mouth was over hers once more, his tongue parting her lips before plunging into her waiting mouth. He had – on more than one occasion – memorized every hard and soft edge of her teeth, tongue, lips and cheeks, yet it never failed to take his breath away at the way she eager responded.

To Nadia, he tasted like a rustic wine and dark chocolate mixed. Though not always a good combination, the combined tastes were enough to drive her from coherant thought each time he kissed her.

The Weiss, she tasted of berries. A sweet flavor that always left him wanting more of the nectar she provided, her tongue moving against his was enough to cross the barricade of want as he hands slid to her waist. He pulled her closer to him, heat emanating between them both like a fire beginning to rage out of control. Her fingers tracing the side of his cock made him break the kiss with a smack of parting lips as he groaned, dropping his head onto her shoulder. He pushed himself closer while pulling her flush against his hard yet teddy-bear-like body.

His hand dove down to join hers, his destination slightly different from her own. Pressing against the soft mound of flesh at her center, she gasped and immediately tightened her hold on his shaft, causing the air to exit his lungs in a rush as his fingers probed determining that she was more than ready for him to continue.

Moving back up to join their mouths once more, his hand left her moist heat and pulled hers away, joining their fingers. Pressing the head of his erection against her, he slid to the hilt inside her warm body.

"Jesus, Nadi, you're gonna kill me…" he moaned, hearing her feathery laugh as she set kisses along the stubble of his jaw as well as his shoulder.

Propping himself up on one strong arm, he tucked the other underneath her head. Making sure she was comfortable, he began by slowly pulling out completely and thrusting back in. Her mewling sounds made him hurry to a quickened pace. They'd waited far too long to take it slowly. Pressing himself fully against her, his hips sped up as her mouth latched onto his throat, knowing full well that they would have matching purple marks to explain to anyone else that saw.

His low chuckle at her actions was enough to rocket her towards climax, her body squeezing his as she cried out his name and several other words in her passion induced moment of bliss. Eric followed quickly, the pulsing and tightening of her muscles around his member too much to handle as he came with a final thrust, holding their bodies so close that a breath of air couldn't penetrate the cocoon they'd formed.

Her legs were wrapped around his calves, her arms clutching around his shoulders as he mouth pressed tiny kisses against his neck and shoulder. One of his hands had made its way underneath their bodies to the small of her back, keeping their hips together as the other was rubbing a untraceable pattern against her shoulder and arm before moving up to slide over her sweating forehead to land on her cheek.

"You're incredible, Nadi…I can't believe we waited so long to do that." He grinned, pulling his head away from her shoulder and rolling to his side while keeping their bodies connected.

"Well…Eric, I might take it back."

Sudden panic flashed in his eyes as he looked down at her, a deep crimson coloring his cheeks.

"Your hands definitely aren't my favorite thing about you any more."

"Don't do that." He growled with a laugh, setting a kiss to her forehead as she settled into his arms using his shoulder as a pillow.

* * *

"Vaughn…are you serious?" she was so unsure of his decision, but searching his eyes she saw nothing but devotion and he reassured her with a smile.

"God, Michael, of course I will." She cried, letting him put the ring onto her finger as she nearly fell into his arms, her mouth moving over his as the tears ran freely down her cheeks. For once, they weren't tears of pain but rather the opposite.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21: Family Ties

A/N: Here we go, skipping ahead a little bit. I know you guys probably wanted stuff between the last chapter and the beginning of this one, but hey…I didn't have any ideas.

Chapter 21: Family Ties

* * *

Their engagement was short lived as Sydney and Nadia dove into the wedding plans. They wanted a small, simple wedding where only friends and family were invited. The party was a different matter.

The day the Sydney Anne Bristow became Sydney Anne Bristow-Vaughn was a moment that could nearly go down in history. Michael looked dapper as ever, and Nadia had come to the rescue when neither Vaughn nor Weiss could manage to get the bow tie actually tied.

_The__ flash of a camera made the two grown men groan as they spotted Nadia standing behind them in the full mirror. Weiss was to the left, Danny in the middle, and Vaughn on the right as the boys tried desperately to get their ties finished before the ceremony started._

"You three look absolutely adorable." She chirped, noticing that Danny was more interested in looking and acting like his daddy and Uncle Eric than actually getting anything done.

"_These things are impossible…why can't we wear normal ties?" Vaughn groaned as he undid the mess around his neck and started over again._

"_Oh for goodness sake, you're going to miss your own wedding because you can't do a bow tie. You picked the tuxes you know…" she left off and set the camera down, moving over to Weiss first and fixing the silk to a perfect tie._

"_Look, daddy, I did it like Nadi." Danny pulled on the bottom of Michael's jacket and the older man looked down at the little boy with a smile. Sure enough, though slightly crooked and one half completely lopsided it still looking something akin to a bow._

"_How did he do that?" Eric growled, setting a quick kiss to Nadia's nose before she pulled away and knelt next to the little boy._

"_Very good just let me fix this corner." Straightening the bow while re-doing it, she finally moved to Vaughn just as he growled and gave up, letting her finish it for him._

_Danny and Vaughn were in matching suits while Weiss was in something slightly different. Nadi wore nearly the same dress as Sydney, only light blue rather than creamy white spaghetti strapped, fitted gown. Forming a 'V' across their waist and over the hips, the flowing silky dress reached nearly to the floor, dancing atop their toes as they stuck out of the high-heeled pair of sandals._

The wedding had gone off without a hitch, Nadia posing as the Maid of Honor while Weiss was the best man. Danny was the ring bearer, and though Marshall and Carrie were slightly disappointed, they decided last minute that Mitchell was eating more of the flower petals that he was supposed to lay down – therefore the flower boy was discharged to sit with his parents. Vaughn's mother had been able to fly in, though she was slightly miffed at her son for keeping Sydney's return a secret, she'd quickly gotten over it by spoiling her new grandson.

So, exactly ten days, fifteen hours, and forty-seven minutes after the engagement, Sydney and Michael were married in a small church next to the beach by their house - essentially in their backyard. Nadia had made plans to move in with Weiss, and the last of her things had been switched the day before the wedding, leaving Syd's large apartment for the new family, and her old room for Danny.

Standing with his back against the brick wall as conversations floating all around him, the reception inside their home was bigger than the wedding had been. Danny played with Mitchell, but became fed up when the toddler wouldn't cooperate. Now he was running around with his small dress pants rolled up around his stocking feet and sliding around on the hardwood floors. Many times he and his new son held races and contests to see who could slide the farthest and the longest – mostly when Sydney was out shopping or in the shower. As always, by the time she returned, she would find them out in the back yard playing catch; or if Danny wasn't feeling too well they would be laying on their stomachs in a massive pile of pillows and blankets donning boxers, undershirts and socks happily watching cartoons.

Watching Danny jump around and play, bringing laughter and smiles to even Jack Bristow's chiseled face, made his heart grow even more than it already had in the last week and a half. He finally had a family, just as his mother and father, and so much like many of his friends he'd kept in contact with over the years. His eyes scanned the room, quickly falling on Sydney. Though he had taken his suit jacket off, the limp silk tie long since removed, Sydney had changed completely from her white dress to a light blue sundress, one of Vaughn's favorite outfits.

She was talking animatedly with Carrie as Mitchell slept against the other woman's shoulder. Danny slid into her leg, and she smiled before leaning down to better hear the little boy.

"Mommy, can I go play outside with Donovan?" he asked, looking over at the bulldogs pleading face squished against the sliding glass door.

"You may, just stay away from Eric and the grill." She kissed his forehead lightly watching him grin and scamper off, weaving through the masses and ending up sliding into his father.

"Daddy, where's Donnie's favorite ball?" He asked lightly as Vaughn scooped him up and carried him into his new bedroom upside-down. He giggled as Michael dropped him onto the small racecar shaped bed – picked out when Eric and Danny had broken away from the group while shopping for furniture to fill the boy's room a few days ago. Everything was still rather unfamiliar to him, though with his new home and family he was beginning to open up and behave like a little boy should. Nights seemed to be the only time he was really plagued by his internment in Russia, and he spent plenty of time crawling into bed with Syd and Vaughn.

Danny was going through his treatment, and though he was still easily fatigued, seemed to be doing better. His blood work had improved since his first visit nearly two weeks ago, which was something Sydney and Michael were very happy about. They'd received the information from APO about their new house in a suburban area outside the city of Denver, Colorado. Though Vaughn was apprehensive of the move, Danny and Sydney were all too excited. The pictures they'd seen of their new home showed an impressive two-story house with a large front yard – equipped with a climbing tree that Danny had pointed out would be perfect for their new tire swing. Every scrap of information on schools, for both Danny and Sydney, had been included in the packet as well as their surrounding neighbors.

Vaughn found the ball quickly, pulling the little boy up for a piggy back ride as he made his way through the swarms of talking people to the fresh evening air of the backyard; Weiss' grilling filled the medium sized space with the mouth-watering scent of cooking meat.

"So we finally get our bar-be-queue." Weiss laughed, Vaughn setting Daniel down as Donovan danced around the boy, obediently running with his stubby legs going full throttle as Danny threw the ball. "You know, I never mentioned this before because…well…I supposed that nothing I was going to say would have stopped you, but I think you made the right decision."

"Thanks man. That means a lot to me." Michael set a hand to his friend's shoulder, finally getting a good look at what he was wearing. "Kiss the Cookie Monster? Love the blue apron. Where the hell did you find that?"

"Mommy! Daddy said a bad word!" Danny yelled through the cracked open patio doors as Vaughn grabbed him with an embarrassed smile, seeing Sydney's glare through the glass before closing the doors the rest of the way.

"Tattle-tale. I thought you were playing with Donovan." Vaughn grinned, looking down at the grinning little boy before he took off to play on the tire swing that they'd assembled on the large tree in the corner of the yard. At first, Eric had suggested they cut it down just for the sheer fact that the neighbors had been complaining about it for nearly a year, but Sydney had refused. Finally, with Danny's arrival, the tree was getting good use and though they'd be moving in only one more week, they'd set up the swing anyway.

"He's getting pretty used to you guys as Mommy and Daddy. Does he ever call you Vaughn and Sydney any more?"

"Not really. He was so excited about finally having a family that it only took him like an hour to get the hang of it. To be honest, I love it. I didn't think that I'd ever have kids, even after I married Lauren. She didn't want children and the more I thought about it the more I realized that Lauren wasn't the one I wanted kids with anyway."

He looked over and saw the surprised look on his friend's face.

"You never talk about her so openly...everything okay?" Closing the lid on the grill, Eric slid out of the apron to show the tailored white shirt underneath still crisp, save for the arms that were rolled up to his elbows.

"I'm married. Again…but I know this one won't end with me finding out my wife's some kind of psycho homicidal maniac using me for information from inner workings of the American Government. It's weird Eric; it seems like all of the stuff that happened in the past doesn't even matter now…you know?"

"Aww…you little romantic you." Weiss snagged Vaughn into a rough hug before wrapping his arm around his neck and tucking his head firmly underneath his arm. His knuckles rubbed Michael's skull until the man beneath him begged for mercy, but it was Sydney's scolding voice that caused him to finally let go and get back to his grilling.

"Had to save your butt again, Vaughn." She grinned as he folded her into his arms, setting a kiss to the side of her neck as both Weiss and Danny made gagging noises.

"Will you stop teaching him stuff like that? You're a bad influence." Syd growled, pulling out of Vaughn's embrace as she set a light kiss to Weiss' cheek. "But thank you for grilling."

"Food's ready, if you want to announce it. Hey Dans, come get a hot dog before they're all gone, pal."

The child jumped out of the swing and tumbled in the grass to be instantly pounced on by the fat bulldog who'd been circling the bottom of the swing since Danny had abandoned him and his tennis ball. Licking the side of the boy's face he left dirty paw prints on the chest and stomach of the white button down shirt as Danny pushed him off and ran over to meet Eric who was handing him a bunned dog.

"Why do we call them hot dogs, Uncle Eric?" Crawling up onto the stool that Eric was using to sit and wait for the food to cook, he took a large bite as he kicked his feet, staring up at Weiss with big green eyes.

"Well, you see, millions of years ago the dinosaurs were running around and they all got blown up by volcanoes. The heat turned them into dogs, and when we dig them up we put them in little packages and sell them. Scientists called it, the Hot Dog."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yuh-huh."

"Nuh-uh, my daddy and I have a book and it says that paleontologists that dig up them dinosaur legs and tails think dinosaurs turned into birds. You're silly Uncle Eric." Danny grinned as he hopped down and scampered inside to grab some ketchup.

"Wow. You just got served." Vaughn laughed as he scooped up a hamburger, patting his friend on the shoulder before making his way to sit beside Sydney at the large table they'd set up in the grass.

Clink Clink Weiss tapped his glass and stood, holding it out in front of him.

"Well, as the Best Man, I believe that it's time for the toast. I spent all night sitting up and writing this thing, thinking of what I could and couldn't say because I know for a fact that Sydney could kick my a- butt." He corrected, seeing Danny looking up at him from across the table.

"Nice save." Vaughn commented making the party laugh as Weiss glared down at him.

"Anyway, Vaughn and I have been friends forever, even through working for the Agency. Especially through the training, it was hell –err, heck. There were times where we both wanted to quit, but I'm thankful that we didn't because being in the CIA let us meet Sydney, and I'm sure that neither of us would change it for anything.

Now that all of that sappy crap is out of the way, I just want to say that it's great that you two finally have a chance to be together instead coming to me for therapy. To Sydney and Vaughn…may they have endless happiness, yadda yadda yadda, and invite me to all the good hockey games and parties in Denver."

With the toast complete, the rest of the evening went by quickly until the last remaining guest stood and put on his jacket.

"Papa Jack, do you have to leave?" Danny called as he slid off of the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he tried desperately to stay awake so he wouldn't miss anything.

The two couples were cleaning up the living room and stopped as they heard his honest little question. He'd never really called Jack anything other than Jack, but apparently he'd put together that if Nana Amelie was Vaughn's parent, and Jack was Sydney's parent, that made him Papa Jack.

Crouching down beside the little boy Jack smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I have a long day at work tomorrow, Daniel, so yes, I'm afraid I have to go."

"Am I going to see you before me and my Mommy go away?" Climbing into his arms, Jack stood as Danny placed his arms around his neck and his head on his shoulder.

"Of course you'll see me before you move." He smiled, seeing the child's eyes close as his breathing evened out. Sydney smiled gently, walking over and taking Danny into her arms while placing a kiss to Jack's cheek.

"We'll see you in a few days dad." She opened the door for him as he turned back to face the others.

"Vaughn…may I have a word with you before I leave?" The look on Michael's eyes was priceless; the deer-in-headlights gaze directed at the senior Bristow in answer to his question.

"Umm, sure, Jack." He gulped, brushing past Sydney while she went to take Danny into his bedroom.

Stepping out into the cool night air, under any other circumstance, should have been a blessed relief from the hot confines of the newly emptied apartment. But for Michael Vaughn, who was about to have **the most important** conversation with Jack Bristow, relief was the last thing he was feeling.

"Vaughn… you and I haven't always seen eye to eye when it comes to Sydney…I have to give you the benefit of the doubt that you're not just a lap dog trying not to lose sight of his master."

"Excuse me?" Vaughn squeaked, though some of his defenses began to rise at the mention of his new wife. "I guess I don't exactly know what you're getting at Jack."

"I need you to look at me and tell me that your marriage to my daughter wasn't just some pathetic last option to keep her in your life after her retirement from APO is finalized."

"Well…since we're being blunt – yes, it was. My intentions couldn't be anything less than love and devotion, but in the beginning, I'll admit that the thought of her leaving and potentially just disconnecting from this life did scare me. But after talking with her about the plans that we could eventually make, Syd and I realized that this wasn't exactly the only life that we'd like to live. I mean, for years she's talked about getting out of the spy business. In my first meeting with her she told me that once SD-6 was destroyed that she was done –she didn't want any more of this spy crap, and that's why she came to me…well…to the CIA in the first place.

"Jack, I love your daughter. You have to know that by now. We talked, long and hard about the decisions that we've made in the past week, and none of this seems wrong to us." He finished, finally looking up at Jack as he stood tall, pushing his chest out to see what the man would say to his tirade.

"You do understand that if you hurt my daughter, or Daniel, in any way - I will kill you."

"I won't."

"Welcome to the family." Jack smiled lightly, setting his hand to Michael's shoulder, and a gentle squeeze later he turned and walked away.

Letting out a gust of air he hadn't realized he'd be holding in, he turned to see Weiss' face pushed up against the front window as the darker haired man watched with wide eyes. Laughing, he made his way back inside to see Nadia gathering Danny's stuff as Sydney deposited the sleeping boy into Weiss' strong arms.

"Wait…he's staying with you guys tonight? What if he has a nightmare?" He asked, placing his hand on his son's forehead as Weiss rolled his eyes.

"Dude, we talked about this earlier."

"I don't remember any of this…"

"Not you and me – me and Danny. He's totally excited. He'll be fine." Eric promised, though his face was jovial, Vaughn could see the seriousness in his eyes.

"Well, if there's any sort of problem…"

"You live two doors down. Good night you two; congratulations and everything."

Their exit was swift as the newly married couple stood in their wake.

"You're awfully protective of him lately…" she smiled, reaching out and taking his hand in hers as she led him through the living room, switching off lights and locking doors before they entered their bedroom.

"You realize that you're my wife now, right?"

"Vaughn…I was at the ceremony." She giggled, feeling him pull back before crossing the doorway.

"Well, I wouldn't be a very good husband if I didn't carry you across the threshold." He grinned, pulling her quickly up into his arms as her hands fastened around his neck and shoulders.

They laughed as they eventually tripped over something in the middle of the floor, thankful that they'd made it all the way to the bed as it padded their landing. Lying haphazardly across her, he twisted his head to see what they'd tripped over. Donovan looked up at them with a death glare that only he could pull off before he stood and trotted out of the room.

"Sorry pal." Michael called as Sydney's hands framed his face, pulling his focus back toward the woman in his arms.

To him, she'd never looked so beautiful. It didn't matter how many times he'd slept with her before, or how monumental their unions were, he knew this night would pale everything in comparison. Even if they only cuddled the entire time, it would be wonderful because she was now his wife. Sydney Bristow was his wife. Three years ago, this would have been a step toward the future they could have already had. Unfortunately, those plans went straight to hell. But now, as if fate had a sense of humor, she was now here in his arms, wearing a ring matching his own as they enjoy their first night together as husband and wife.

"You gonna stare at me all night, Michael?" She asked lightly, seeing the inner conversation in his expressive eyes.

"I was just thinking." He grinned, lowering his lips to hers long enough to brush his tongue over her bottom lip before pulling back.

"Good thoughts?"

"Always."

Settling above her, he propped himself up on his elbows and allowed her to move her legs to a more comfortable position.

"Do you know how beautiful you were today? Every day?" he asked, lowering his mouth to her neck as he traced the gentle curve with his fingertips, following the tingling lines with his lips and tongue.

"Is that rhetorical?" She asked with a breathy sigh, her fingernails scraping over his cotton dress-shirt prior to bunching up the fabric at his waist and diving underneath to touch his hot skin.

He chuckled against her collar bone, the air cooling the moist path etched out by his tongue as his mouth closed over one of her nipples through the fabric of the sundress. The bun at the top of her hair had begun to come loose and long strands were lying on the pillow underneath her moving head. She groaned his name as his teeth came into contact with the first button. Slipping it through the hole with his tongue, his fingers began at the buttons near the bottom of the dress – which had been pushed up to the middle of her thighs.

Taking the time to caress the soft skin of her inner leg, he jumped when her hands ran down his chest and her fingernails skimmed over his hardened nipples.

"Touché, Mrs. Vaughn." He groaned, his words slightly muttered and muffled because of the line of buttons he was slowly making his way through. He stopped at the exposed skin of her stomach, delving his tongue into her belly button and back out as his deft fingers finished the rest of the small, flat, plastic circles hiding her skin from his eager gaze.

"I like it…"

"Like what?" His questioned forced him to look up at her through half lidded eyes, his hand almost petting the soft muscles of her abdomen, his other busy sliding up her newly revealed skin.

"Being, Mrs. Vaughn. It's got a certain ring to it." She sat up, forcing his mouth back against her stomach as she slipped the dress away from her shoulders and let it fall back down to the bed behind her.

She stayed sitting, pulling his mouth up to hers as she quickly flipped their positions so that he was resting his back against the wooden headboard in a higher spot than she had just been in. She opened her legs, straddling his waist in her matching white bra and panties, the lacy garter mid-thigh. She used her lower half as leverage, only really giving full movement to his arms, but he was content to let her do all of the work to remove his clothing. His emerald eyes couldn't help but fall on the garter, and he reached out to snap it against her toned leg.

"Weiss picked it out."

"Well…there goes all the sexiness. Why the hell was he picking out a garter for _my_ wife?" Vaughn growled, his fingers moving to her hips to keep her relatively still as she rocked against his growing erection.

"He and Nadi decided it was the best one, and that you would probably enjoy it more than the black one."

"What was wrong with the black one? I mean, it's not like it's going to stay on for too long anyway."

"Who cares, Michael? I'm trying to make love to you, and you're fixated on the garter." She laughed, licking his adams apple as her mouth followed the path of her unbuttoning fingers until the shirt was open completely and his hard chest was in full view.

"I happen to think that it's sexy." He grinned; grabbing her by her backside and pulling her up until the plunging top of her panties were nearly against his nose, he took the opportunity to nibble and suck at the edge of her hip, a purple mark left before moving back to her belly button. A skillful hand moved quickly to the center of her back, unsnapping the bra and pulling it off over her arms before she could think, and she soon found herself not caring. His hands drove up and into her hair, releasing all of the pins, to send the straight tresses cascading down her shoulders and back as his lips firmly latched over her right nipple.

His mouth alternated between sucking and licking, pushing and pulling, and he quickly figured out a pattern that kept her in a highly induced state of pleasure. Tracing the rounded edge, his tongue dipped into the valley between her breasts and up over to the neglected left peak, repeating the process to his satisfaction. His hands were splayed against her upper back to keep her from tipping away from his body as he leaned against the headboard to look at the etched, blissful and sated woman before him.

Eyes closed and mouth parted slightly to let enough air through, she was the picture of radiance, and he smiled gently, it dawning on her that he wasn't moving anymore.

"Did you have to stop?" Her voice was deliciously lower and her words were slightly slurred.

"Well, I have entirely too many clothes on." He spoke, seeing her eyes look to at the wide open shirt that still hung to his shoulders as well as his tented dress pants.

"I would have to agree." She grinned and pulled back, pressing her hot core against his straining, cloth-covered cock.

She let out a throaty giggle at the hissed air he sucked into his tight lips as she set gentle kisses to each closed eye, continuing to rock against him lightly, her mouth moving farther down to his nose, cheeks, then finally both the upper and lower lip. Her tongue joined the fray, though Vaughn stayed motionless and let her work over him. His fingers began tighten with each press of her hips against his and they both knew she'd have finger-shaped bruises in the morning, but neither of them cared.

"Sydney, if you don't stop moving those wonderful hips, there's going to something incredibly premature about this evening."

"You've never misfired before…"

"Yes, well we usually just skip the clothes-humping phase and get straight to the love making." He laughed, deep throated chuckles as she leaned forward, her lips sliding over his in a very wet and very hot kiss. Her tongue commandeered his mouth, searching endlessly over his own tongue and against his teeth before retracing her steps and repeating the process.

Only when spots danced behind their closed eye lids did they pull back and gasp their lungs full of oxygen. His surprised yelp made her grin, catching him as his forehead fell to rest against the small space below her collar bones. She used the pointed tip of her finger to trace his erection through his confined pants; from root to head, swirling lightly then moving down the other side. She did this two or three times before he growled a warning, never moving his head or opening his eyes. His fingers were digging into the small of her back as he tried desperately to increase pressure against his straining member.

"Patience is a virtue, sweetie."

"Not right now it isn't." he snarled, finding some relief when his wife undid the unpleasant belt buckle that was beginning to dig into his waist in their nearly upright position. Sydney was firmly planted in his lap. If he had his way, she would never move from her spot above him.

He felt more than heard the zipper slide down, and the liberation of his rock hard cock left like a ton of pressure was being lifted off of his hips.

"You're not wearing any boxers." The surprise in her voice made him grin, feeling his hardness spring free to slap against his stomach.

"Well, consider it my wedding gift to you, baby." He wiggled his eyebrows, lifting his hips so she could slide his trousers down his legs. Wrapped around his ankles, he used his feet to kick them the rest of the way off, his fingers hooking the thin, nearly string-like fabric of her panties. One rough tug later they were torn in half and he pulled them away from her body, his mouth joining hers once more before pulling her back down against him, his cock trapped between their straining bodies. His hands gripped her hips, pushing her up and away from him nearly a foot as she reached down and wrapped her fingers around him, positioning the head at her entrance. He let her sink down slowly, prolonging their pleasure as long as they could until he was buried to the hilt inside her warm body, her pressing her chest firmly against his to try and remain upright.

He tested the waters by removing her hands from his shoulders and setting them on the wooden board behind them. Having her pull herself up, he kept his hips down on the bed. The moment he was completely unsheathed, he set his hands to her hips and pulled her back down again. With the teamwork of her rocking her lower half against his pelvis, pushing up with her thighs and pulling with her arms, coupled with Vaughn's half thrusts into her heat - they were each nearing the end. He wrapped her into his embrace, pulling her away from the headboard and pressing her backwards so that they ended up on the opposite side of the bed. Pushing himself up with his elbows resting beside her head, he pulled back with his hips to once again exit her body completely before slamming back in to the hilt.

The base of his cock rubbed against her clit with such force that no more than ten thrusts later she was tumbling off of the cliff in her first climax, clutching at his shoulders while crying out both versions of his name against his throat. On more than one occasion he felt her teeth biting into the skin of his shoulder as well as her fingernails digging into the skin of his upper back.

With the rhythmic clenching and squeezing of her inner walls, he pushed himself in and out of her body with intense force, sweat dripping from his neck down to his chest, her tongue catching a few of the salty drop before they could roll down his throat completely. His balls began to tighten and heat spread from his stomach to the tip of his cock - making it feel like all of the blood in his body was centered on his pumping hardness.

She could feel her second orgasm build as his mouth moved up from the crook of her neck to her lips, his hungry tongue matching the pattern of his thrusts as he came hard inside her, forcing her to climax alongside him. Their muffled groans of pleasure were swallowed by the other as the lay together for an eternity before either of them had the energy to move.

Minutes flew by as he rested his forehead against hers, their breath mingling, as his hand sought out hers. His fingers traced the edge of her new ring, hers doing the same to his own left hand until he managed to push himself up far enough to look down at his completely sated and half-coherent wife.

"I love you." He whispered, placing a gentle peck against her swollen lips as she smiled.

"I love you too."

She felt one hand leave hers and begin a slow trek down her body until he reached the clinging garter around her thigh. Lifting her leg until he was nearly cradled in a soft cocoon of flesh he pulled it down and over her knee, bending it completely so he could continue the journey over her calf and foot and finally ridding her of the stretchy garment.

The pattern of the fabric was molded into her thigh and his fingers traced the waving pattern before tossing the garter across the room. Leaning back, his semi-hard tool pulled free from her body causing them each to groan slightly from the loss of such an intimate contact. Managing to sit her up and maneuver them both until they were at the head of the bed, he pulled the covers back, up and over until she was firmly snuggled against his chest, her hand resting over his heart and her nose pressed to the side of his jugular.

"Goodnight, Sydney." His voice was barely even a whisper, more like a hoarse breath of air.

"Goodnight, Michael." She returned, placing a light kiss to his throat as their fingers twined together before falling into a tranquil sleep.

* * *


	22. Chapter 22: Monday

A/N: So we're beginning with the last week that Syd and Danny will be in L.A. I'm officially stating that today is Monday, just to make it easier, and the next chapter will be Friday, the end of the week. Danny calls Weiss Uncle Eric, and Nadia Tia (Portuguese word for Aunt), just to let you all know.

Chapter 22: Monday

* * *

The morning sun shone in through the curtains as the enthusiastic four-year-old boy dove head first into the sleeping couple on the bed, causing many forms of grunting and groaning as Weiss pushed his head underneath his pillow and Nadia laughed, pulling the jumping Danny down before he could trip over their twined legs and fall off the bed.

"Wake up! Come on! Get up! Time to go home and see Mommy and Daddy!" He called with a happy little voice, making Weiss grumble about 'Sydney's early rising disease rubbing off on him', and Nadia sitting up and pulling the jumping boy into her lap.

"Easy, you've still got the morning with us. What do you want for breakfast?" she asked as she left the warm confines of the bed and adjusted her twisted draw-string sleeping pants around her slim waist. Finding a discarded, long-sleeved shirt, she pulled it on over her camisole as Danny flopped onto his stomach to bury his head under Weiss' pillow.

"You under here, Uncle Eric?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"'Cause it's less noisy." He muttered, squinting into the light Danny let shine in behind his head.

"Am I noisy?"

"You're about the noisiest thing I've ever known. And you know what that means," his voice went lower like a growl as Danny jumped back with a laughing scream. Weiss's arm reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back as his fingers tickled his sides. "You woke the bear! Now be prepared for the attack!" He pulled the dinosaur sleep shirt up and blew raspberries onto Danny's stomach as his little face turned red from laughing.

"Eric…let him breath." Nadia yelled from the kitchen, all activity ceasing in the room as they both looked up at the empty doorway.

"Yes dear!" He called back, his voice about three octaves too high, making the kid squirming in his lap giggle some more.

"It's okay, Uncle Eric, I don't need to breath." He laughed, pushing away from him and standing up as Weiss pulled his feet back to sit cross-legged beneath the covers so Danny had more than enough room to jump up and down.

"Pancakes boys?" She asked as she got out the ingredients, as well as some fresh fruit left over from the reception yesterday to incorporate into the mix.

"Yay!" They both shouted, Eric jumping from the bed and grabbing him, tossing him over his shoulder.

Danny giggled until his sore chest came into contact with Weiss' bulky shoulder.

"Ouch, be careful of me Uncle…" he grunted as Eric immediately set him down, checking to make sure he was okay.

"How did your shots go on Saturday, Dans?"

"Good. They don't hurt so bad anymore, but after the shot my chest is kinda angry." He smiled up at them, climbing onto the large barstool in front of the tall counter as he rubbed his small hand over his sternum.

"Here you go gentlemen, fresh orange juice." Weiss sat beside Daniel, seeing him eye the two sized glasses Nadia had set in front of them.

"Can I have a big cup like Uncle Weiss, Tia?" Danny asked with a small voice, giving Nadia his huge green eyes with a small smile.

"Sure." She took his glass and poured the contents into a larger one before handing it back, seeing Eric stand and make his way out to the front to pick up his paper.

"When do I get to go back and see Mommy and Daddy?" he asked after taking a large gulp of juice, looking up as Eric sat back down beside him.

"This afternoon. I was thinking we could go to the park. Have some fun; take a bunch of pictures so Nadi and I will have a few of you around while you're away."

Nadia could hear the sadness in Weiss' voice as he spoke and chose to change the subject quickly.

"Geeze. I'm sitting here looking at these eggs that need to be broken, and I'm just not strong enough."

"I'll help, Tia, I'm a good helper!" Struggling to jump down quickly without breaking his neck, he grabbed the little footstool next to the cabinets that Nadia had set out for him. Dragging it over to where she stood, she proceeded to let him crack the eggs and work on not putting in the shells.

Breakfast went smoothly, Weiss and Danny offering to clean up while Nadia went to get dressed.

"What are we gonna do at the park, Uncle Eric?" Danny was, at the moment, sitting up on the counter to Weiss' right, his feet dangling off the edge while watching Eric work.

"Well, I don't know pal. Maybe we can do some fishing."

"Fishing?"

"Ya, it's where you go and catch fish."

"Why?"

"Fishing, my boy, is an ancient sport. As the male part of the human race, we are all obligated to learn how to fish." Eric ranted, his voice changing to a lower as he adopted a sudden English accent.

"Huh?"

Weiss laughed at the utterly confused look on Danny's face, still being able to see the curiosity sparked in his green orbs.

"As men, we have to fish. It's in our blood."

"There's fish in my blood?"

"No. Umm…geeze. Look at it this way. We go to the lake with a fishing pole, some worms, and a hook, and catch fish for fun."

"Do we keep them?"

"Sure; if they're big enough. We can grill 'em up and have 'em for dinner."

"Gross." Danny scrunched his face up, watching as Weiss closed the dishwasher and helped the boy down to the floor.

"Nah, it's tasty."

"No, it's gross. If we catch a fish, promise you'll let it go back home. Fish are friends, not food." Danny recited the famous line from Finding Nemo.

"Well, whatever; I promise. We'll send them back."

"Can my daddy come too?" he asked, walking with Eric over to the couch where Nadia sat, after changing into a t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts, flipping through the channels to try and find something kid-friendly. She landed on Sesame Street, and Danny grinned before climbing up onto her lap to watch.

"I think your daddy probably wants to spend the day with your mommy, but we can ask. Why don't you give them a call, I'll dial."

"Eric, it's 9:30 in the morning. Let them sleep." Nadia scolded, taking the phone from his hand as Danny looked up at her, turning on the puppy dog eyes.

"Please? I miss them lots already…" he begged, Eric mimicking his face behind his back as Nadia groaned, relinquishing the phone to the eager boys.

Weiss dialed, handing the receiver to the child as he jumped from his aunts lap and bounced from one foot to the other.

A distant ringing began to break the couple's concentration. Vaughn was perched above Sydney, the light sheets pooling around their hips as his mouth left a fiery trail down her throat. They paused instantly, looking over at the phone with disdain before he ignored it and continued his exploration of his new wife's neck and shoulders.

"What if it's Weiss?"

"Then he'll call back." He mumbled against her skin, seeing her hand reach out to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi mommy!" Danny's squeaky voice called through the phone, making both adults smile, Vaughn rolling to his side and Sydney reaching down to grab the sheet and pull it up to her chest.

"Hi sweetie. Are you having fun at Eric and Nadia's?"

"Uh-huh."

She heard a slight pause as well as whispering in the background. She could tell it was Weiss, though she could barely hear what he was saying.

"Ask for Mike." Eric whispered, seeing Danny look up at him with confused eyes. "Err…ask for Daddy."

"I'm asking for daddy." He requested and Vaughn smiled, reaching out for the phone. Sydney placed a kiss to his shoulder as she grabbed his discarded button-up shirt from last night and pulled it on.

"I'm gonna make breakfast." She smiled, leaving the room quietly wearing nothing but the half-way buttoned shirt, Vaughn getting a nice glimpse of her long, tanned legs.

"Hey pal, what's up?"

"Hi daddy. Uncle Weiss wants you to come with us."

"Whoa, go with you where buddy?"

"We're gonna go catch Nemo's!"

"Oh really?" He couldn't help but smile at the youthful innocence, thoughts of more little ones just like him running around the house beginning to float through his head.

"Yep. I want you to come too. It's in our blood."

"Give me that. Go watch Sesame Street." Weiss laughed, pulling the phone away as he heard Vaughn chuckling on the other end. "You in? Or do you and Syd want even more time alone?"

"Nah, I'm in. I'm sure I can convince Sydney to…oh…go shopping with her sister."

"I heard that!" She called from the kitchen with a giggle, Vaughn getting up and grabbing a pair of boxers before yanking them up over his legs with one arm, the phone securely occupying his other hand making him stumble a bit before they were on.

He walked out to the kitchen, seeing Sydney looking into the fridge. Enjoying the view that the tilted shirt was giving him, he was incredibly thankful that they were the only ones home.

"Well, Nadi's practically drooling, so I can assume that's a yes. Dans and I will get dressed and head over."

"Well, Syd and I need to eat, shower, get dressed, get it on again,"

"Vaughn!" She growled, socking him in the arm with a grin before setting a pan on the stove and turning it on.

"Dude…gross. I don't need to hear about anything you two are doing. An hour?"

"Ya, see you in an hour. Put Danny back on the phone so I can say goodbye."

The phone was transferred, Danny looking up from his perch back on the couch, setting it to his ear with a dimpled grin.

"Hello?"

"Hey pal. I'll see you in a little while okay? Mommy and I need to have breakfast and get ready, then I'll you and Eric and I can go fishing, okay?"

"Okay!" He was beaming as he cradled the phone to his ear, Nadia and Eric grinning at the exchange. "Bye Daddy, lub you."

"Lub you too." Vaughn smiled, closing the phone and looking over at his cooking wife, drawn to where the shirt was buttoned enough to be discreet over the valley of her breasts, but not enough to keep him from getting an eyeful each time she bent forward.

"Your boxers are pretty tented there, Vaughn. You have anything planned?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow, Vaughn's eyes darkening as he set the phone down on the counter before stalking over to her.

He soon had her backed into the corner, reaching out and unbuttoning the bottom of the shirt before pulling it open, exposing her skin up to her belly button. Soon, only the single snap over her breasts was left as his wandering hands explored her newly exposed flesh.

"Michael…breakfast…" she groaned, her cheeks flushed and eyes tightly closed, breath coming out in short pants at the effect his hands had on her.

"…Can wait." He finished for her, lifting her by the waist as she wrapped his legs around his hips and letting him lead them from the kitchen.

"Wait…the stove…" she grunted, seeing him roll his eyes and walk backwards to let her reach down and turn it off, giggling when he nearly ran back to the bedroom. "You're like my own personal Sherpa."

"You're not funny." His mouth covered hers as they toppled onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs.

Fifteen minutes later, after Weiss had taken a short trip to the Public Storage building three blocks down to pick something up, he pulled into his usual parking spot and grabbed something from the back seat of his pickup. Danny was practically talking non-stop with Nadia about 'he and Uncle Eric and Daddy going Nemo hunting', and she just laughed, ruffled his hair and continued to lay on her stomach on the floor with crayons in hand while coloring with the little boy.

She was looking forward to a day with her sister, the thought of this possibly being one of the last times they'd be able to shop was weighing heavily on her shoulders, but Danny's presence was enough to pull her from the depressive thoughts and just take one step at a time, as Eric had put it.

When Weiss got came in, he was carrying one large box, and setting it with a thump on the couch he called Danny over. She followed just to see what he was unveiling.

"This, my little friend, is everything that my dad gave me when we went fishing for the first time. I, as the doting near-uncle, am going to pass it on to you."

"Really?" He asked with a smile, crawling up to sit next to him as Weiss opened the box up, revealing a small tackle box and an easy-to-assemble rod in a special case.

"Well, you can't go fishing without a tackle box and a rod, now can you? See, this was even my first fishing hat." He grinned, placing the baseball cap on the boy's head, seeing the old outfit he's go fishing in.

"You actually kept all of this stuff?" Nadia asked, seeing almost everything that he associated with fishing when he was a little boy in the single cardboard box.

"My mom did, yea. She's always been a big 'save everything' buff. Besides, they thought they'd keep the outfit for when they had my brother, and unfortunately, we got stuck with my sister instead."

"Girls are gross."

"Hey." Nadia scoffed, hands on her hips as Danny looked up at her with a startled look.

"You're not a girl, you're my Tia."

"What about Sydney?"

"She's my Mommy. Duh." He rolled his little eyes, focusing back on what Weiss was showing him.

"Let's go put this outfit on. You can't fish in a dinosaur shirt and footy sleep pants." Eric grinned and picked up the box, Danny obediently following him to the guest bedroom as Weiss began to get him dressed.

"I'm supposed to take a bath."

"Dude, we're gonna go get dirty and gross and slimy and come back smelling like fish. Trust me…the bath can wait."

"Okay, but Mommy will yell at _you_, not me."

They walked out a few minutes later, both glaring at the laughing Nadia as she nearly fell to the floor.

"Okay, so he's a bit smaller than I was when I went fishing for the first time, but hey. It's the thought that counts."

"A bit?! He's about to fall out of those pants!" She giggled, hearing the front door open as Weiss looked at his watch.

"Hey guys, sorry we're late." Sydney grinned, seeing Danny standing in what had to be a classic Weiss outfit. "What are you wearing, sweetie?" She laughed as he catapulted himself into her arms, and she stood with him on her hip.

"It's an Uncle Eric outfit. He weared it when he was me. It's kinda big…but I wanna wear it. Please?"

"Sure. You guys be careful, okay? Try not to get him back too late; he had his shots yesterday so he'll probably get tired pretty quick." She transferred him over to Vaughn, seeing the boy immediately climb over his shoulder to his back, clinging like a leech for a piggy back ride.

"I know all of this." Vaughn placed a kiss to her cheek, leaning forward so their son could do the same as he and Weiss picked up the stuff and made a quick exit, leaving the two girls alone.

"Did you have a good night?" Nadia wiggled her eyebrows as Sydney chuckled, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"Don't mess with me, Nadi; you know I can kick your ass." Syd warned with a wink, moving to the kitchen and lifting a bottle of water to her lips before joining her sister on the couch. "We going shopping today? Or will it just be sister hang out time?"

"Shopping, definitely."

"You okay?" Syd saw the change in her sister's demeanor and set a caring hand to her arm.

Nadia merely smiled, looking up at her sister with obviously misleading eyes. "Of course."

"Spill it. What's wrong?"

"It's this whole you moving thing. I don't know how I'm going to handle it. Eric says to go one day at a time, but I just can't imagine you not being around. I know I have my father, and he's adjusting to my life just as much as I am to his, but you were really my one solid connection within America." She fessed up, looking down at her lap unable to meet her sister's sympathetic gaze.

"Hey…it's not going to be a walk in the park for me either. The only fortunate thing that I have in my favor is that I'm not required to change my name and adopt an alias. But you've got Weiss, and as much as I hate to say it, you're father tends to take…pretty good care of you. Besides, I want you to take care of Vaughn for me, and I wouldn't give that job to just anybody."

"I'll just miss you."

"I'll miss you too." They embraced, tears flowing slightly as they laughed, looking away before Sydney pulled her up and grabbed the purse she'd abandoned on the table by the doorway.

"Come on…let's go shop until we drop." Nadia took a few minutes fixing her now running makeup as she and Sydney both pulled their hair up into ponytails before heading out for a day on the town.

"How is it that the kid, who has never been fishing before in his life, managed to catch the biggest fish of the day? That's wrong." Weiss grumbled as he packed up the fishing gear into the back of his truck, seeing Vaughn laid the sleeping boy back into his toddler-sized car seat, making sure he was buckled in before taking off his dirty, mud-covered hat with a smile.

"Hey, we taught him everything we knew, and he put it to use."

"I did manage to get one great picture of him with the digital camera though, check it out." Weiss grinned, pulling the camera from its case and flicking back until he found the image he was talking about. Handing it to Vaughn, he started the truck up and backed up, heading home.

Michael looked down at the captured moment in time, a smile spreading on his face at the image of his son holding his prized fish. About two seconds after the picture was taken, the fish had wiggled, startling him and causing him to drop it quickly to scamper the two feet back to his father for safety. They just laughed, urging him to help it back to the water, and so with the toe of his foot he gently nudged it until it reentered the lake with a splash.

"Bye Nemo!" He waved, making them laugh as they settled back into the fishing routine, but were unsuccessful at catching anything else for the rest of the day. Danny's fatigue hit in the middle of the afternoon, around 1:30, and both men decided to let him take a nap. Moving their things to the edge of the lake, underneath a large tree providing plenty of shade, they settled back down and Vaughn prompted his son to just lay back and take a breather. The next time he looked over, Danny was curled up on his side with his hands folded under his cheek in almost the same way Sydney slept. Sometimes it was really strange at how similar he was to Sydney and himself, learning and soaking up knowledge like a sponge day after day.

So he and Weiss had, as Eric put it, 'Major guy bonding time.' They opened up the cooler Vaughn had stocked, pulled out the chairs and took their shirts off, enjoying the sun and the company.

Around 4:00 their stomachs began to growl and Danny was still asleep, so they decided to pack it up. It wasn't until they started to put their shirts back on did their find their painful reminder to put sunscreen on, their chests and shoulders lobster colored red.

Abandoning the shirts completely, they packed up before placing the boy into the car and heading back.

"Sydney's going to kill me. Look at Danny's face." Vaughn grumbled, looking back to see his son's little nose a shade pinker than when they'd first left, knowing Sydney would grumble to him about the suntan lotion.

"Well, we forgot. Come on, like we ever put on sunscreen. We always just burned to get tan."

"Ya, so did people who now have melanoma." Michael growled, hissing as his back came into contact with the hot interior of the truck.

"Nah, it'll be fine. I'll say it was my fault."

"He's my son."

"Technically, he really isn't, so she can't play that card."

"Eric." Vaughn deadpanned; looking over at Weiss with an unappreciative look as his friend chuckled, forcing him to smile. "But it was a good day."

"Michael, you let him get burned." Sydney frowned at the sleeping boy cradled in his father's arms as the boys walked into Weiss' apartment.

"It was an accident. We'd left the sunscreen at home, and besides, with his long sleeved shirt and the hat, it's only his face."

"Why aren't you two wearing any clothes?" Nadia grinned as she walked out from the kitchen to see both Vaughn and Weiss in their shorts with no shirts over their red backs.

"Karma." She giggled, poking Eric's red shoulder as he jumped away, glaring down at her before stalking in the direction of the bathroom.

"Come on, let's go home. I've got Aloe-Vera plus we can start dinner." Sydney laughed, taking Danny into her non-burned arms as Vaughn thanked her with a kiss to the forehead before yelling goodbye to Weiss and Nadi.

Danny woke half-way home, struggling for a moment in the strange environment until he felt Sydney's arms soothe him, as well as both adult's voices. Danny meticulously set the table after dinner was ready, making sure everything looked perfect - even though each place had one kind of silverware rather than all three, and he did a pretty good job for someone who could barely see over the table.

Afterward it was bath time then bed time, Vaughn and Sydney taking turns reading to him before he fell asleep against Syd's shoulder halfway through the abridged version of Peter Pan. They tucked him in, placing light kisses to his red forehead before turning on the nightlight and leaving the door open a crack.

"Come on, I think there's a bottle of Aloe waiting for you in the bedroom."

"What about a bottle of Sydney? Can I have one of those?"

"I'm still recovering from last night, so I think you just need to cool your jets. But…that doesn't mean that I can't give you a massage."

"Gently?"

"Very gently." She grinned, pushing him to the bed and peeling off the light cotton shirt she'd practically had to force onto his body earlier. She hadn't been lying when she said that the bottle was waiting as she picked it up.

"I'm gonna grab a towel, get comfy." She ordered with a wink and a light kiss, moving off into the bathroom.

Vaughn stood quickly, yanking off his khaki shorts as well as his boxers, diving onto the bed onto his stomach, leaving his backside bare as the cool air hit his burned shoulders.

Her laughter made him turn his head as he spotted her leaning against the doorframe.

"What?"

"I…I just wasn't expecting…this lovely view…" she giggled, walking over to the bed trying to keep the blush creeping up her cheeks at bay.

"Why are you blushing? It's not like you've never seen it before…" he wiggled his brows before closing his eyes, neatly folding his arms under his head after moving his pillow to the side.

"Ya, well, close your eyes and relax." He jumped, startled by each word punctuated with a brush of lips against his ear. She grabbed the bottle at the end of the bed and crawled up to straddle his back-side. She poured a large amount of the cool gel into her hands and rubbed together before smearing it over his upper back.

He groaned at the cooling sensation as well as Sydney's hips pressing his growing arousal into the bed below him. After his back was sufficiently covered with the healing Aloe-Vera, she tapped his shoulder gently, forcing him to open his eyes.

"Roll over; I'll put some on your chest."

"You sure?"

"Umm…aren't you burned there too?" She asked lightly, not understanding his hesitation.

He grinned, rolling over to appease his wife as his erection met the cool air of their bedroom. He saw her eyes darken and a brief moment of pure lust crossing her almost always unreadable face.

"You were warned." He grinned, reclining back as she once again straddled his waist, far enough away to keep from brushing his "little friend", but close enough to keep the heat sizzling between them. After rubbing the Vera onto the upper part of his shoulders and chest, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his taut abdomen, feeling the muscles twitch under his smooth, yet hard, skin.

"I thought you said you were tired…"

"I may have changed my mind." She grinned, her tongue flicking out and tasting the pearly drop of pre-cum beading at the head of his cock. "What can I say, you're a bad influence."

* * *

A/N: The conversation between Danny and Nadia, where he says 'you're not a girl, you're my Tia', is an actual thing my brother said to me. He's seven now, but he said it when he was Danny's age, so I incorporated it.

-Jean


	23. Chapter 23: Friday

Chapter 23: Friday

* * *

Nearly a week had passed since the wedding, and their mornings seemed to be somewhat routine. Unfortunately, as Vaughn was getting used to the pattern, it would change in two days. Two days, and his Sydney and little Daniel would be off to Denver, where they'd communicate for only a few minutes each night, possibly even only once a week until the Anderson's were in custody. 

That was his job. Unfortunately, Vaughn was much more interested in his new form of employment: a husband and a father. He and Danny had done guy things, as Sydney had put it, nearly every day. From fishing with Weiss on Monday to hockey Tuesday and Wednesday, then a lovely picnic lunch with the Weiss and Nadia at the park yesterday.

They'd only had two or three meetings at APO, the office trying to give the newlywed's time together before they would be separated at the end of the weekend. He sat in at the kitchen table at 10:30 AM in his boxers and a cotton shirt, pouring over dozens of papers trying to find some kind of lead. Sydney and Danny were in the kitchen baking cookies in shapes of cars, dinosaurs, dragons, pretty much anything that would satisfy the little boy.

"Syd…come here." He asked quietly, seeing her look up from the corner of his eye and walk over, setting her hand to the back of his neck to massage gently at the tense muscles.

"I'm looking at these dates where the Anderson's usually check in for seasonal visits to several hotels, and it's giving me a headache. Can you make any sense of it?" He asked lightly, looking up at her concerned eyes as she scanned the papers in front of him.

"You go help Danny, I'll see if I can find a pattern." She promised, kissing the top of his head with a smile as he stood, pulling her into his arms by her waist, placing a more thorough kiss to her mouth before joining his baking son in the kitchen.

"Hi, Daddy." He said with a happy, cheerful voice, his eyes not leaving the project at his fingertips. He picked up the cookie cutter shaped like a long neck and cut out a shape before peeling it back to show Vaughn.

"You're pretty good at this…can I try?" He asked, seeing the little enthusiastic nod.

After ten or so cookies, his son sent him packing to the dining area, claiming that, 'you're not as good as mommy at making t-rex cookies', so he relinquished his spot to his wife.

"Find anything?" he questioned, propping himself up with a hand against the back of her chair, using the other to move her hair away from the nape of her neck as he placed several kisses behind her ear, looking over her shoulder at the nearly two pages of notes she'd scribbled.

"Well…nothing concrete, but it's something to go off of." She stopped, setting the pen down and leaning back to look up at him. "Give you a lead I hope."

"Me too." He grinned, setting an upside-down kiss to her mouth, his tongue barely having time to trace the contours of her bottom lip before Danny called from the kitchen.

"They're ready to be ovened mommy!" He hopped off of the stool, jumping up and down as Sydney rose and slid the sheets into the oven, setting the timer and looking down at his excited little face.

"It's going to take a little bit to cook, sweetie, why don't you run and get dressed? Call for me if you need help." She playfully swatted him, watching him scamper off in his full zip-up footy pajamas as she sat beside Vaughn at the table.

"I got it." He called, making her jump as she leaned forward, scooting her chair until she bumped knees with him. "The Anderson's stay at the Hilfordshire Hotel in upper London every August between the days of the 17th and the 23rd." he leaned back, looking at the calendar they had magnetized to the fridge door, reading the date to be August 21st.

"It's a shot…we should take this to APO." She jumped up, turning and seeing Danny standing in the hallway with his footy pajamas zipped halfway down with his non-existent hips holding them up while struggling inside of his shirt. Both little arms were stuck in one hole as his head was bulging out the side.

"Mommy, help. I'm stucked!" He grunted as they watched him stumble around, trying to make his way toward them. Finally taking pity after snapping a picture with the handy digital camera on the counter, Sydney leaned down and straightened the small hockey shirt over her son's torso.

"That's my boy; the Kings all the way pal." Michael grinned as he hefted him up over his head, flying him like an airplane until they reached his room.

"Daddy, when me and mommy are gone, will you miss us?"

"Of course I will."

"How long will we be without you?" He asked as Vaughn slid him out of the fuzzy pajamas the rest of the way, pulling out a pair of overalls from his closet.

"Well, we don't know buddy. Hopefully not too long, but I have to catch the bad guys and make sure they don't hurt you or Mommy ever again."

"Can I help? Uncle Eric plays Good Guy Bad Guy with me lots."

"I know, but this is a different kind of Good Guy Bad Guy. These bad guys aren't pretend, and they've hurt a lot of people."

"Like me."

"Yes, like you."

Sydney stood in the doorway watching the exchange. She'd changed into a slim pair of black dress pants and a light, dressy t-shirt after talking to her father at APO. Naturally he had wanted them to bring in the information as soon as possible.

"If you and mommy find another baby would you give me away?"

"Absolutely not…don't ever talk like that. We love you, you know that."

"Promise?" he looked up at Vaughn as he finished buckling his overall straps, seeing the uncertainty in his son's usually trusting eyes.

"Why all of these questions little guy?"

"'Cause I heard Uncle Eric and Tia talk of me not living here any more."

Vaughn sat back after grabbing some socks, pulling his worried little boy onto his lap as the child kept talking.

"He said that if you and mommy didn't have kept me, then you wouldn't leave. Do you and Mommy want to go away?"

"Well…honestly, not really. But that doesn't mean that we don't want _you_."

"Uh-huh…" he grumbled, looking down at his feet, pulling his shoe out of Vaughn's hand and trying to put it on himself.

"Danny, look at me." Michael moved to a kneeling position, staring his son straight in the eyes by cupping his little chin, forcing him to look up. "You and Mommy…you're my favorites. This house isn't my life. If you're not here with me, why should I stay?"

"Funner times?"

"Nah, no one's funner than you, pal." He smiled, pulling him close as he finished putting on his shoes. "I love you Danny, and I love your Mommy. If you guys are going to leave, then I'm going to find you. I promise."

"Okay, daddy."

"Now you can bring a couple toys, so go pick them out." Vaughn's smile was tight yet genuine, and Danny scampered off, flashing a bright smile at Sydney as she entered the room to stand next to Vaughn as he stood up.

"I'm going to kill Eric." He growled, looking over at her and seeing the tears in her eyes.

"No - but…but maybe we should talk to them again before Danny and I leave."

Vaughn winced, pulling her into his arms and resting his head on her shoulder while she rubbed his back lightly. "Don't even mention it; I have no clue how I'm gonna survive without you for a day, let alone months." He pushed his nose into Syd's throat, her hands rubbing at his shoulders, his own holding her waist in an almost painful grip.

"Come on, my dad's expecting us." She reluctantly pulled back, seeing him begin to protest as she set a finger to his lips to silence him. "Later, I promise. Just not now. We'll talk after he goes to bed, I swear."

"Talk?" The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and she saw the laughter mix with the pain in his eyes. She laughed lightly, turning and seeing Danny standing and watching in the doorway, a truck in one hand and a toy soldier in the other.

"Me too?" He asked quietly, as if fearing rejection, and Sydney immediately swept him up against her chest with Vaughn joining the hug as he wrapped protective arms around them both.

The car ride was silent, both Danny and Sydney looking out the windows while Vaughn drove. Michael's hand was twined with hers and his finger traced the outline of her wedding ring while sitting at a traffic light. He looked up, catching her staring at him, a small smile playing his lips until he leaned forward and placed a kiss to her mouth. Light, completely void of passion and full of love, Danny smiled from his car seat at the exchange after seeing his Mommy brighten up. Sydney smiled, dimples showing as they pulled into the parking lot.

Walking through the station was Danny's favorite part of going to see Sydney and Vaughn's place of employment. The hallways were also fun to run around in, because it was one place where he couldn't really bother anyone. Many of the lower level office assistants were more than happy to entertain the little boy when he came to visit, usually while Sydney and Vaughn were in a meeting.

"Hey, Eric." Sydney's tone was slightly clipped as she felt Vaughn's arm twitch beneath her hand.

"Hey guys. Whoa…who died? You two look so serious…" he said solemnly as he looked up at the couple from his paperwork.

"We need to talk when we're done." Michael ground out, and Weiss frowned with a nod, Sydney shaking her head when she saw he was about to ask what was wrong. Danny jumped up and down to try and get Eric's attention. Finding him a good change of subject, Sydney asked the little boy to stay with Uncle Eric while she and Daddy were in a meeting. He quickly agreed, and Weiss instantly pulled out a coloring book, his eyes still searching Vaughn's for an answer.

"Baby, not here." Sydney whispered in Michael's ear as she tugged him toward the room where her father, Marshall and Sloane were sitting and waiting.

Marshall waved as they walked in, Sydney smiling and winking in return as they took their seats.

"What did you find?" Sloane cut straight to the point; obviously this was a day where patience was in short supply.

"We found intel and a possible location of Evan and Ryan Anderson. Annually they stay at the Hilfordshire Hotel in London between the days of August 17th and August 23rd."

"You're suggesting that they're at the hotel as we speak?" Arvin questioned, leaning back in his chair as he studied the two agents before him.

"Well, we're not really suggesting anything, but it's worth a shot, isn't it? Anything to bring them to justice…" Sydney commented, seeing the wrinkles emerge on Vaughn's forehead, the first she'd seen of them all week – since the wedding in fact.

"The Anderson's know that this Intel was compromised when we raided his warehouse in Russia. Therefore, any information you find from those documents had to have changed by now." Jack sighed, his shoulders drooping slightly as the bags under his eyes became apparent to his daughter.

"Not necessarily. Imagine for a minute that…well…that Ryan Anderson is bent on finding a cure for his wife…right?" Marshall interjected, standing and pulling the focus of the room to his quirky antics and brilliant thoughts. "If they are expecting us to discard anything we found in Russia, anything at all, they could just be playing us."

"What…like reverse psychology?" Vaughn asked, leaning up and folding his hands together on the table to get a better look at the tech wizard.

"Well, something like that, ya. I mean, if you were serious about getting a cure, but at the same time you'd have to take care of your wife like…twenty-four hours a day, wouldn't you go to a top notch hotel and have her pampered while you looked for something?"

"It makes sense. Either way, it's you're call." Sydney almost growled, looking over at Sloane as he contemplated the information he'd just received.

"This is all based on speculations, but I'll allow it. Sydney, Vaughn, you're going to England."

"Wait…we can't go. We can't just leave Danny behind, who'll take care of him while we're away?"

"You'll be gone for a day and a half at the most, and I'm sure Nadia and Weiss will be all too happy to care for the boy. Wheels up within the hour; that's all." He dismissed, rising and leaving the conference room, Jack on his heels.

"You know…Carrie and I…well…we could watch him for you. I mean, he and Mitchell did get along, and Mitchell needs to get some…some other stimulation from, you know, kids around him. I mean…I don't want to just impose, but just want to let you know that we're always around, you know?" Marshall offered, a blush rising in his cheeks as Sydney smiled, but gently shook her head.

"Sure, Marshall. If you're up to it, we'd love to have you watch Danny for us." Vaughn spoke up, making her whip her head in his direction.

"Great! Well, just give me a call when you're ready to go and I'll be around. Ooh, I'd better call Carrie. Excuse me." He pulled his cell phone from his breast pocket, exiting the room as he dialed.

"What the hell do you mean _we'd_ love to have them watch Danny, he hardly knows them."

"Syd, I'm not too happy with Eric right now."

"So, what? You're just going to cut Danny from their lives so you can hold a little grudge?"

He saw the anger in his eyes as Marshall poked his head back in with a large smile, completely oblivious to the confrontation between the new husband and wife.

"Carrie's okay with it, but – you know – if you change your minds, I'll - well, we'll understand completely. I mean, it's not like we've spent _too _much time with him since, well - ever…so…just give me a ring, I got some things to…some stuff to – I'll be around."

"Vaughn, Nadia and Eric are watching Danny while we're away."

"Syd, I don't need Weiss telling him that he's not wanted, that's the last thing Danny deserves."

"Come on, Michael, Eric is absolutely in love with that little boy, there's _no_ way…no way at _all_ that he meant for him to hear his conversation with Nadi – you _know_ that."

"Do I?"

"Michael…"

"Sydney, I'm dead serious about this. I'm beyond pissed, so back off." He warned, seeing the hurt frown on her face. He squeezed his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers before meeting her angry gaze. "I don't mean to take this out on you, baby, you know that."

"You're acting insane." She growled, pushing herself up and walking out of the room, sitting at her abandoned desk.

"What the hell man? I hear you're going on a mission, and Marshall is watching Danny? Come on, we've got two more days with him…why can't Nadi and I keep him?" Eric rambled off as he walked into the conference room, flopping down across from his friend. "You okay?"

"No…no I'm not okay. If you ever…_**ever**_ tell my son that he's not wanted, I will kill you, Weiss. Don't you _ever _hurt him like that again." Spinning in his chair quickly with his finger in Eric's face, he spat every word with barely concealed rage.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Weiss snapped, slapping Vaughn's finger away as the two men rose.

"Everything okay?" Nadia asked, Danny clinging to her back as she gave him a ride around the office, picking up several folders and making her rounds before seeing Sydney at her desk.

"No…not really, but hey. It's early."

"What's up? I heard you and Vaughn have a mission…"

"Ya, England. We're just supposed to go and get some Intel from a hotel, nothing fancy. Of course, if Michael and I are right and the Anderson's _are_ there, hopefully we'll be prepared." She flashed her sister a grateful smile before hearing slightly raised voices emanating from the board room.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Weiss, and I don't ever want Danny asking questions about us keeping him, or if Syd and I love him enough to leave. What the hell were you thinking talking like that in front of him?"

"It wasn't in front of him, Nadia and I were talking at the picnic and I didn't know he was listening."

"Oh, so it's behind my back? Grow some balls and tell me what you want to say." Michael snarled as the two began to draw something of an audience around the glass-enclosed space.

"Okay, you want to hear it? Fine. I think that the sheer fact that you and Sydney are willing to leave everything behind is insane. Danny should be in an orphanage or with a foster family where he can have a chance at a normal life. We've been like brothers Mike, and you're throwing it all away for one kid."

Weiss had barely finished his sentence until Vaughn's fist connected solidly with his jaw, sending him stumbling back into the table behind him. With a grunt, he tossed a right hook of his own, catching Michael in the temple as the fight began.

"Oh my god…" Syd jumped up, Nadia setting Danny down in the empty chair and ordering him to stay where he was. They pushed their way through the gathering of personnel that had crowded around the single entrance to the meeting room. By the time they'd made it in, Dixon and another young man had managed to pry the two agents apart, breathing heavily through bloodied lips.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Jack barked as he stood behind his stunned daughter, his eyes taking in the two friends. "Get them down to medical."

"We'll catch up." Sydney growled as she glared ice at her husband, the gathering dissipating as Dixon released Vaughn, the young man letting go of Weiss. The two agents stared each other down, Eric moving past Vaughn as Nadia walked with him down the hallway, Weiss keeping his eyes from meeting with the confused little boy's as he sat dwarfed in Syd's plush chair.

"I cannot believe you."

"Sydney…" he begged, leaning back against the sturdy table as he used the back of his hand to wipe at the blood on his chin.

"Don't. You know what? I'm sure Nadia would be happy to go to England with you. I'll take care of Danny myself; I need to get used to it anyway."

"Hey…that's not fair." His sentence was cut off as the door closed in his face, and he watched with helpless eyes as Sydney gathered Danny, the child visibly shaken as his large green eyes settled on Vaughn's bloody face.

"Mommy, what happened to Daddy?"

"Nothing, sweetie, he and Uncle Eric just got really mad at each other and had a fight." She was trying to answer her son's questions accurately while desperately trying to rake through the thoughts in her head. All of that mixed with driving was never a good thing, so she decided against the freeway and took the side streets.

"Did they fight over me?"

"No, honey, not over you."

"But Uncle Eric said he wants me back at the mean lady's house…"

"He didn't mean it, Danny, he and Vaughn were just angry."

"Is Vaughn mad at me?"

"No, baby, Daddy isn't mad at you. If anything, you should be mad at him."

"Why?"

She sighed, seeing his curious eyes staring back at her in the rearview mirror. When had everything gone wrong? Why was she punishing Vaughn for standing up for her son? Nothing really made sense, but the tension had been building all week, and deep inside they all knew it probably was going to find a violent way to be released. Yes, she was slightly miffed at Eric's wayward lips, and though she agreed that the things he had said weren't entirely fair to their situation, she couldn't blame him for feeling hurt.

"Sweetie, Uncle Eric loves you. We all do, it's just been kind of hard lately. We're moving in a couple days, and we're probably not going to be back for a long time."

"Will I see them at our new house?"

"No, Danny, they won't be in Denver." Sydney pulled into her assigned parking space, sitting quietly with her forehead resting against the steering wheel until Danny's voice brought a small smile to her face.

"I don't want any other mommy or daddy, just you and Vaughn."

"Thanks, baby." She breathed in a deep breath and released it before jumping out of the car and letting Danny out as well. They walked into the air-conditioned apartment, Sydney looking down at her watch and seeing it was lunch time.

"Grilled-cheese sandwiches?" She called in the direction Danny had run off into, seeing Donovan staring up at her with puppy eyes over his empty food dish. Scratching his ears lightly, she fed him after hearing her son's okay from the other end of the house.

"Well, you two are just a picture perfect pair." Nadia grumbled, leaving Eric down in medical as she brought the first aide kid to Vaughn who was still sitting in the conference room.

"Not now, Nadia."

"Hey, I'm here to make the peace. I agree with you - that Eric and I should have been more careful with our conversation, but I don't entirely regret what we said."

"If you don't, then how do you agree with me?"

"Because I'm looking at it from both sides. I want you and Sydney to be happy. To have a life away from this one, but at the same time, I don't want to lose her. You, Sydney and Danny are the only family I have, not including my father. I guess it's just scary losing someone that means so much to you after just finding them." She spoke as she patched up his cuts, wiping the dried blood with a wet washcloth as she pulled away, seeing the contemplative look on his face.

"Go talk to Eric. I think that if you both abandon this friendship now, before Sydney and Danny leave, then you'll be incredibly miserable while they're away. You've got twenty minutes until you need to leave to catch the plane."

"You're going to England with me?"

"No, Sydney is. I'm just leaving soon so I can pick up Danny. We'd really like a second chance at this…and we've only got two more days."

Vaughn agreed with a small smile, pulling Nadia in for a hug as he stood, making his way from the confined room into the outer offices. He ignored the stares from his fellow workers, stopping to apologize to Dixon and Jack before they sent him in to talk to Weiss.

Eric was pacing the small medical room like a caged tiger, an ice pack against his jaw and a butterfly bandage underneath his right eye. He stopped as he saw Vaughn standing in the doorway, looking none-the-better.

"Mike…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything that I said; you know that…it was all stress. I love Danny, I really do. I think he's the best thing to happen to your life since Sydney…it's just that this whole moving away thing is going to be hard."

"I know."

"I'm sorry, man…I really am."

"Me too. I shouldn't have snapped like that, but it's been wearing me down."

"What…me bein' a dick?"

"No, Sydney and Danny leaving." Weiss flopped onto the single cot, patting the spot next to him and sitting on one end while Vaughn occupied the other.

"I mean, once they're gone you and Nadi are pretty much the only people that can keep me grounded. And I'm sorry that…I…punched you in the face."

"And I'm sorry that I punched you in the face." Weiss grinned over at him, setting a manly arm around his shoulders. "Is this considered man love?"

"Bordering…"

"Eww." Eric pulled away and stood, offering Vaughn a hand up as they made their way out of medical.

"So Nadia's on her way to pick up Danny, I'm going to tell Marshall that we've already got a babysitter."

"Don't you mean babysitter – s? As in plural?"

"Well, Nadia will be watching you and Danny. Sounds like just one responsible adult to me…" Michael grinned, Weiss pushing him before they parted and went to their desks.

"Now if only talking to Sydney will be that easy…"

"My daughter loves tulips, Mr. Vaughn." Jack's suggestion made the younger agent jump, seeing the towering Bristow looking down at him.

"Are you starting to like me again Jack?" He grinned up at him, grabbing his keys before walking past the smirking senior agent.

"Where you goin' momma?" Danny asked lightly, abandoning Nadia in the kitchen as he climbed onto her bed with a smile, watching her pack a small suitcase.

"Well, Daddy and I have something to do, so we're going on a plane ride. It'll take a little while, so we'll probably be back some time tomorrow."

"Then what?"

"Then you and I are going t pack all of our stuff, and head off to Denver."

"Are you sure Daddy can't go with us? We have room…" Danny asked lightly, looking down at the hot-wheels car he was driving over the lumpy bedspread.

"Sweetie, it's only going to be a few months without him. And I'll make sure you get to talk to him on the phone for a few minutes a week. I promise. You go help Nadi with dinner; I need to pack Vaughn's things, okay?"

He nodded and scampered off, seeing Vaughn walk in through the front door.

"Wow, Daddy them's lotsa flowers." He grinned, hugging his leg as Michael winked and headed back toward the bedroom.

He spotted Sydney folding up a few of his shirts - one a t-shirt, the other an under shirt, then finally a nice dark green button-down shirt for something classy. She tossed them on the bed and folded them carefully, completing the process by laying them in their joint carry-on bag.

"So, how many tulips does it take for my Sydney to accept her husband's apology for being a total and complete jerk?"

"More than you can carry, that's for sure." She didn't even look up, feeling him enter before she saw him.

"What about 40?"

"Please, Vaughn, no flower shop carries forty tulips." She growled and looked over at him from the closet, seeing him holding, in both hands, the largest bouquet of tulips she'd ever seen. Most of them were purple or white, but splashes of colors were there as well, telling her that he'd actually asked for help in arranging them.

"Wow…" she stopped, seeing him walk in and hold them to his chest, waiting for her to accept or decline his apology.

"Well, you can pretty much guarantee that the shop at the end of the block doesn't have forty tulips. Not anymore anyway." He smiled lightly, setting them on the bed before walking over and wrapping her into his arms. "I'm sorry, Sydney, you were right. I was acting insane. Like a,"

"Spoilt brat?" she interjected, pushing her face into the crook of his neck as Nadia yelled from the kitchen that their cab had arrived.

"To put it mildly, yes. Thank you for not wanting a divorce a week after the wedding."

"Thank you for the tulips." She smiled while leaning back to press her mouth against his briefly before Danny ran into the room full tilt.

"Daddy, a funny man is ringing the bell." He grinned jumping onto the bed and nearly upsetting Sydney's situated carry-on. Fortunately, she managed to snap the case closed and tote them out to the living room - the cabbie offering to take them and put them in the trunk.

"Danny, we're leaving sweetie. You're going to have fun and listen to Uncle Eric and Tia Nadia, right?" Sydney called, standing by the doorway as she heard him hop down from the bed and come around the corner.

"No leaving without kisses!" He ordered, launching himself against her as she leaned down, setting a kiss to his cheek, Vaughn doing the same to his forehead as he gave them hugs before they left. "I'll wait right here." Danny sat cross-legged in front of the closed front door as Nadia laughed from the kitchen.

"But if you sit there the whole time, then who will Eric and I have to play with tonight? And tomorrow as well, we were going to have so much fun. Besides, you'll probably get bored sitting there, niño."

"What is that word?" He asked, standing and walking over as she finished slicing the apple she'd grabbed from the fridge.

"It means child."

"Are they back soon?" He asked, looking back over at the door as it opened and Eric walked in.

"There you are, come on. I've ordered pizza for lunch and it's on its way." He smiled, kissing her forehead and picking up Danny piggyback style.

"You've got owies…" he mumbled, poking a rather nasty looking bruise on Eric's cheek, causing the man to wince and pull away from the boy's hand.

"Yes, thank you for poking it." He grinned and they left, making sure everything was off and locking the door on their way out.

The drive to the airport was mostly quiet, though Vaughn's hand was firmly placed on her knee once he noticed the cabbie staring at her through the rear-view mirror. The airport was bustling, and they had to hurry in order to catch their flight - the private jet waiting obediently at their gate.

They stowed their single bag and settled back after grabbing some bottled water from the mini fridge in the back.

"So, I'm thinking…nap?" Syd suggested, snuggling into his chest and he chuckled, making her shake slightly and look up at him with a grin. "It wasn't entirely my fault that I can barely think straight today because I'm so tired…you know that right?"

"Hey, you didn't exactly stop me."

"Why the hell would I have stopped you? I'm not an idiot."

"Well, you initiated the second time you know. I was in a sated and blissful sleep, and I wake up with your mouth somewhere incredibly inviting, there was no way in hell I was going to object."

"Oh so it's my fault?" She grinned and stood, pulling out a pillow and a blanket before carrying it over to the half couch/half elongated chair and set up a makeshift bed. "Would you care to join me? Just sleep that is. If your mind is focused on anything other than sleeping, you're gonna end up high and dry."

"Well, with an offer like that how can I refuse?" He laughed and pulled off his stylish jacket as well as the button-up shirt, revealing a white undershirt. Sydney released her hair from its confining bun and sat on the edge of the leather cushion to toe off her shoes as Michael did the same standing beside her

"You know, you should probably put some ice on that eye, it's going to look pretty bad. We're gonna have to slide that into our aliases."

"Nah, its fine. I've had worse. You think Weiss' fist is bad, how about a misfired puck in a hockey game? I think that wound **still** hurts." He groaned, rubbing his face lightly he smiled and climbed into the seat behind her, stretching out as she laid down next to him, pulling the light blanket over their bodies and twisting until their chests were pressed together and his arms were around her waist.

"Don't let me fall off in the middle of my beauty sleep." She muttered already half asleep as Vaughn's arms tightened to emphasize that he'd heard her.

Michael woke only one hour before their plane was due to land, the dark skies around the plane signifying that they'd slept the entire day away. Vaughn looked at his watch, the time 1:20 AM as he heard Sydney mumble something against his collar bone, eyes firmly closed.

"There's no jell-o." He grinned, loving the moments where he could catch her talking in her sleep. If the things she spat out weren't so completely random, and the fact that she married into the business, the government could be easily worried that the sleep-talking agent was a threat to U.S. secrets.

He watched her sleep until the plane began its descent, placing light kisses over her eyes and down her nose, patiently waiting for her to wake to his gentle ministrations.

"Dun wanna wake up…" she growled, burying her face farther into his warm, solid chest with a groan as she forced her eyes to open and look up at him.

"Hi."

"Don't hi me; I was in the middle of a wonderful dream." She muttered and yawned, still wrapped in the shelter of his embrace.

"Did it involve jell-o?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, seeing the smirk on his face.

"What else did I say in my sleep?" a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Nothing, that was it. Why?" His curiosity was piqued as she sat up and reached out for her shoes, slipping them on her feet before stretching her arms up over her head - her shirt pulling up over her taut stomach.

"No reason. Like I said: a lovely dream that involved you and me…and possibly a large tub full of jell-o."

"Slimy but sexy." He laughed as the plane eventually landed and they gathered their things.

Finding a ride was easy at this time of the evening, and after checking into their hotel under the guise of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jacobs they made their way to their room quickly. Undressing and sharing a hot bath, they slid under the silky blankets the hotel offered and watched several bad English movies on the television before drifting off to sleep.

Danny poked his head out of his doorway. Looking into the empty hallway filled with dark shadows from right to left; he opened his door a bit more causing the hinges to squeak before he darted across the hall and into Nadia and Weiss' room. The couple was nothing more than a few lumps buried underneath the blankets and pillows, but he easily picked out the larger lump to be Uncle Eric and made his way to the right side of the bed.

"Uncle Eric?" He whispered, looking around the room as he wiggled from one leg to another, his footy pajamas making a small padded sound on the hardwood floor. "Uncle Eric?" He asked again, getting closer to where the older man was sleeping soundly on his pillow with one arm tossed over Nadia's hip.

He reached out with a single finger, poking Weiss in the nose as Eric jumped, waking instantly to see the silhouette of the boy standing in front of him.

"Dans? You okay?"

"I have to go potty."

"Well…go ahead pal. You know where it is…" Weiss talked quietly to keep from waking the young woman next to him as he looked at the angry bright numbers of the clock next to him and seeing it read 1:47 AM.

"I can't."

"Why not?" He asked, sitting up carefully and disentangling Nadia's arm from around his chest.

"There's no light bright."

"Light bright?"

"Mmhmm, I have one like a star."

"Oh, a night light? No there isn't. Here, how about I take you?" He slid out of bed as Danny reached out for his hand as if he was going to help him up, just like he'd seen them all do for each other at one time or another, and smiled lightly with Eric accepted his offer. They made their way slowly to the bathroom, Eric waiting until he was done and helped him wash his hands before walking back out into the main bedroom.

"Uncle Eric? Can I cuddle with you and Tia? Please?" he pleaded, and Eric conceded, tucking in the little boy between himself and his girlfriend.

"Don't get too used to this pal…I prefer to cuddle with Nadi instead of you."

Danny giggled, snuggling into Eric's chest as Nadia's arm automatically sought out his warmth, her hand ending up over his heart and her arm over Daniel's chest.

"Well…I _think_ I prefer Nadi to you anyway…if you weren't so freakin' cute."

* * *


	24. Chapter 24: Sunday

Chapter 24: Sunday

* * *

"London was a bust - the Anderson's checked out a day early." Sydney growled as she and Vaughn sat at the APO table at nearly 1:30 on, technically, Sunday morning. The bags under their eyes was evidence of their lack of sleep, and yet Sloane and her father had managed to ramble on and on until the wee hours of the morning, finally setting the couple free at two o'clock a.m.

"Do you two need a ride home? Perhaps over to Weiss' apartment to pick up Danny?" Jack offered, seeing the relief in their eyes as they accepted.

The first couple minutes were awkward, feeling as if they were being chaperoned on a date. They sat apart from one another in the back seat of Jack's large CIA-issue sedan until Sydney began to drop off against the window. Vaughn reached out and grabbed her hand, making her wake with a start and look over at him with a light smile. He tugged gently pulling her toward him, seeing her maneuver around the seatbelt and lay her head on his lap, her hand resting peacefully on his cheek.

He absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair and along her cheek with a small smile before leaning back and meeting Jack's eyes in the rearview mirror. At first he though the elder Bristow would tell him to keep his hands to himself, and he suddenly felt like he was twelve, but the smile curving his mouth seemed to be genuine.

"Jack, I want you and Sydney to have lunch tomorrow."

"No."

"Excuse me? You haven't spent any time with her at all since the wedding; I think you need to be with your daughter. She's leaving tonight, you know that right?" Vaughn tried to keep his voice from rising and waking the topic of their conversation.

"She's your wife and she should spend her last day with you."

"Look, this isn't negotiable. I'm gonna draw the line here Jack," he gulped mid-sentence as he saw Bristow senior's eyes darken. "I'm taking Danny to play hockey this afternoon, some father/son bonding time and I want you to have lunch with Sydney."

"Agent Vaughn, spending time with my daughter has never been the problem in our relationship; it's the shadow of the many secrets I've kept from her that's been the motivating force behind our…separation."

"It doesn't have to be that way,"

"I'll do it, but only because I believe it would be good for Sydney."

The silence that followed made Vaughn question whether or not he'd actually won an argument with Jack Bristow – the glaring eyes in the mirror piercing his soul persuaded him that, though it _may _have been a victory, it was a hollow one at that.

He pulled up to their apartment and Vaughn moved, waking Sydney only when he needed to get her out of the car. Lifting her into his arms he carried her the rest of the way up the walk and eventually into their home. He slid her into bed, removing her shoes and socks, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders then placing a kiss to her nose and making his way out of the apartment and over to Weiss'.

Using his spare key he walked in seeing Eric and Danny sound asleep on the couch watching, as Danny called it, the "snow" channel. He grinned as he surveyed the scene, Nadia's voice making him jump as he turned and noticed her sitting at the kitchen table with a couple cookies and a glass of milk.

"What are you doing here? I figured you and Sydney would just pick him up tomorrow morning."

"Well, we were going to, but I decided that I'd like him to sleep at home on his last night here. If you know what I mean." He smiled lightly, joining her at the table.

"Want a cookie?" She grinned and Vaughn instantly recognized the dinosaur shaped cookies Danny and Sydney had made the day before.

"No thanks, I think I've had my fill of those." He looked over at Nadia, seeing the dark circles under her eyes as she focused on the cookie she was eating. "You okay?"

"No. My sister is leaving tomorrow, and I feel like I haven't taken the time to know her at all."

"You _do_ know her, I mean you work together every day, and you lived together for a few months."

"Yes but it was always interrupted by something at work. Or with you and Eric, it was never just girls day at home, and now I won't get a chance at it."

"Look, why don't you and Syd have dinner? Their plane doesn't leave until 8:30, so you'd have plenty of time. She's having lunch with Jack, so I'm sure she can fit you into her schedule." He smiled, reaching out after a long deliberation and grabbing a cookie before breaking it in half and eating the head first.

"What about _you_? Aren't you planning on seeing her at all?"

"I'll see her in the morning. Besides, in the afternoon I'm taking Danny and Weiss to play hockey."

"Well, I need to get some sleep, and I should get Danny home to a real bed instead of Weiss' padded stomach."

"He does have muscle you know…" she growled, reaching out and poking the bruise on Vaughn's temple which caused him to pull away with a hiss.

"Jerk."

"You like it." She laughed and followed him over to where the two boys were still snoring on the couch. Vaughn knelt next to his son, brushing a hair out of his eyes as he stirred, opening sleep filled green orbs.

"Daddy, you came back." He smiled, leaving Weiss and reaching out with heavy arms to embrace his father, sliding up against his chest with a yawn.

"Of course I came back, we couldn't leave you. You've kinda grown on us."

"Like a bug?"

"Yep. Like a bug."

"What kinda bug?"

"A big Danny-mo-beetle." Vaughn smirked, as the little boy laid his head onto his shoulder, falling back to sleep cradled in his arms.

"I'll bring his things over tomorrow, you go home." Nadia shooed them out the door, placing little kisses along Weiss' neck to rouse him.

"You gonna keep doin' that?"

"Not until you wake up."

"In that case…I'm sound asleep." He mumbled with his eyes closed, leaning over and pressing his forehead against her cheek. "How long did I last?"

"Not too long. Maybe fifteen minutes."

"Well, Disney movies sure aren't what they used to be." He sighed and stood, grabbing the remote and turning the TV off before walking to the door and making sure it was locked.

"Maybe you've just outgrown them." She grinned, seeing him shake his head.

"Nah." They spoke simultaneously before making their way to their room.

"Danny, breakfast is ready." Sydney cooed as she stuck her head into the child's room, seeing him flopped on his stomach with one arm and a leg hanging off the edge of the bed - the blankets twisted around his small waist. His head was tilted on his pillow with his mouth hanging open, a slight bit of drool forming at the side, and to her he never looked cuter than when he was still zonked out right before she woke him.

"Danny Boy, come on sweetie." She smiled, her voice still soft as she sat on the edge of the bed after winding through the many packed boxes of his toys and clothes.

"Momma?" he grumbled lightly, cracking an eye open to see her grinning down at him, her hand moving to rub his back lightly until he started to wake completely.

"Daddy made waffles."

"We movin' today?"

"Yep, we're moving today."

"Don't wanna."

"I know you don't sweetie, but we have to. We've already got the house all picked out; you remember the big tree out front? We can hook up your tire-swing the moment we get there."

"But daddy can't push from here." He sat up as she moved across the room and opened a box, lifting out a pair of overall shorts and a t-shirt. She laid it down on the bed and picked him up, carrying him into the bathroom to get him washed up and ready for breakfast.

"Honey, I'm sure we'll get used to it when we get there."

"Don't wanna go without everyone." He grumbled as Sydney washed his hands and face and grabbing the clothes from the bed. He crossed his arms over his bare chest after she removed his sleep-shirt, making it nearly impossible for him to get his clothes on.

"Danny, this isn't like you. Come on, we have to do it. Let's just go out and have breakfast with daddy, then you two can go play some hockey and I can go to lunch with papa Jack."

"No." he growled, humphing and looking down at his feet as they dangled off of the counter.

"Fine. You can get dressed by yourself, and then when you're ready, you can come out and tell Daddy that you don't want to go skating." Sydney stated, setting his clothes down next to him and walking away, seeing Vaughn's questioning gaze from the kitchen as she reentered without their son.

"Problem?" he asked as she flopped down onto the table and gave him a light smile, grabbing the finished food sitting on the corner of the counter.

"Danny doesn't want to leave."

"If I recall last night, you said you didn't want to either." He placed a kiss to her temple and placed the plate of waffles onto the table, joining her as they started their breakfast.

"Maybe I should go check on him." Vaughn offered after a few moments of silence before standing up and wiping his mouth with the napkin in his lap.

He made his way to Danny's room around the boxes littering the hallway, peeking inside to find it empty.

"Dans?" He called out, looking around and finally finding him sitting in the middle of their bed. "You okay pal? You're missing out of waffles with raspberries and maple syrup…your favorite…"

"I'm just gonna stay here."

"You'll miss breakfast though, and you won't have any energy to skate with me. And I need my little partner to kick Eric's butt." Michael smiled, sitting next to the boy as he leaned back to prop himself up on his elbow.

"No. I'm stayin' here for always."

"That's a long time. What about mommy?"

"She can move because she wants Denver."

"What makes you think mommy wants to move? I'm pretty sure she'd like to stay here and have it just be the three of us."

"Why are we made to then?"

"She's not making you leave, Danny, the man that we work for is saying she can't stay here."

"Because of me?"

"No, not because of you – because of the rules."

"Rules are dumb."

"Hey, I have to agree with you there. Come on, breakfast is getting cold."

"I need to be shirted." He mumbled, though Vaughn had noticed that when he walked in on the little boy sitting in a pair of Spiderman underpants – that happened to be on backwards.

"I can see that, but I think we should put pants on as well." He hefted him up over his shoulder and carried him to his room to be dressed, the three of them finishing breakfast together.

Around 11:30 Jack knocked on the door, hearing scuttling feet and laughter. He opened it cautiously, not knowing of someone was on the other side, and grinned when he saw Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and Danny playing hide-and-seek.

"Papa Jack!" Danny grinned, running from the far end of the apartment toward the door, seeing all three adults crouched behind the tall couch. "Found you!" He laughed before getting picked up by the elder Bristow.

"Having fun?"

"Yep. They're not good hiders. I'm lots better." He smiled as Sydney stood up and grabbed her purse before sliding into her sandals.

"Be good today sweetie. That goes for you two as well." She grinned, kissing Weiss on the cheek and Vaughn slightly longer on the mouth, Danny reaching out and hugging her before Jack transferred the boy to his father and he and Sydney walked out of the apartment, Sydney silently slipping her arm through his.

"Sydney, I'll understand if you need to make this quick. I'm sure you've got plenty to do back at your apartment." Jack spoke behind his menu, breaking the awkward silence with an awkward statement.

"Dad, I've got more than enough time, trust me. I was so happy when Michael told me you were interested in lunch."

"I understand you've got plans with your sister this evening?"

"Ya, Nadia and I are going out. I think this move is gonna to hit her pretty hard; I guess I never thought about it being too rough on her with Eric and Sloane in the picture." She mentioned with a sad smile, seeing the same emotions clouding her father's eyes. "What's in the folder? Something you need me to look at?"

Jack looked down at the single manila file next to his empty plate, resting his hand over it with a tight smile.

"Yes, but let's eat first. There's two ways you can take this news, and I'd rather we enjoy our lunch without it looming over the table." He winked as the server came and took their orders.

The food was delicious, the small Italian restaurant never unpleasant, and the conversation she was having with her father was a long time in coming.

"Sydney…I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye, and though that's never been the only problem in our unstable relationship, it seems to be the prime factor. I just want you to know that this move is going to be hard on me as well; for a number of reasons."

She felt tears prick her eyes as her father reached out and took her hand into his large palm.

"Dad, you know that I wish I could stay. I mean, last year we were so close, and this year… everything happening with my mother, Elena, Vaughn – especially Sloane – you've been almost the one constant thing in my life, and I don't know how to thank you for that. For everything."

"You don't need to, you know that right?"

"I do…no, I do – I just think that you have always deserved better than what you got." She smiled, seeing the surprise etched onto his chiseled face.

"I don't entirely know what you mean."

"Joining the CIA, you wanted to make a difference, just like I did. Whether or not you knew what was going to happen, it was your good will that brought you into this business. But, after mom betrayed you, leaving you alone…then you become a double agent in order to bring down your ex-CIA companion from achieving world domination within a terrorist cell spread across the globe – I just thought that you've always seemed to try and do what was right and everything constantly failed around you.

"It's part of what I love about you, dad. You never gave up; even when you were required to kill your wife…to kill mom to save me, you didn't get the fair end of the spectrum."

She recognized tears in his eyes as he looked down for a moment before returning his gaze to her intense focus.

"I love you, dad, and I am going to miss you so much." A tear slid down her cheek, and he instantly reached out to cup her face tenderly.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Their silence, for the first time in many weeks, was completely comfortable. The air between them finally void of tension and unresolved questions.

"Will you me to the ice rink? I told Vaughn I'd meet him and Danny there at 2:00" she asked lightly after he paid the bill, and he nodded with a smile before sliding his wallet back into his pocket and helping her up from the table.

They walked to the small car-park and climbed into the sedan, but he paused after starting it up.

"You need to see this." He handed her the folder, not bothering to put the car in gear as she opened it up, looking down.

"What am I looking at?"

"Those are Doctor Hollier's statements from the physical you and Danny took last week. Routine if you remember, just so you'd have something to give to your new physicians in Denver. They found something in the tests. Something more…"

Sydney flipped through the pages, her face paling as she looked up at Jack's sad eyes.

"But I…I don't understand…" she whispered, trembling fingers tracing as she read, though he was certain she had memorized at the first glance. "The doctor said everything was normal…that…that the tests were just fine…"

Sydney was quiet as she watched Danny and Vaughn skate around, the little boy still shaky on the ice skates while the professional daddy kept a slow pace, catching him each time he tipped. Michael handed him off to Weiss as he noticed Sydney sitting casually on the steel benches.

"You wanna join us?" He was covered in sweat and she stood, meeting him at the barrier and placing a kiss against his lips.

"No, I'll just watch."

"How was lunch with your dad?" He asked lightly, seeing her expression change until she compartmentalized and stored her feelings away, flashing him a smile. "No, don't do that. We promised not to keep things from each other." He ordered and hopped over the small barrier, pulling her against him. She placed her head on his shoulder, whispering in his ear.

"We need to talk tonight."

"Why can't we talk right now?"

"Because my dad gave me some news that is…shocking. I want your focus to be on Danny today, not that. I'll talk to you tonight about it, I promise."

He knew it was something bad. Tears had brimmed in her eyes, slowly spilling over, and he held her close until Danny called for Vaughn to help him score a goal on Uncle Eric.

"I'll stay here and watch, Nadi's due in a half hour anyway." She smiled, leaning up to kiss him lightly, but his hands cupping her face made it impossible for her to pull away.

His tongue invaded her mouth, forcing a squeaky sigh from her throat as he traced her mouth and lips before pulling back.

"Promise you'll be okay?"

"Promise." She breathlessly stated as he jumped back over the wall and skated toward his stationary son.

She watched them play, seeing how happy Danny was with his father and Weiss, dreading boarding the plane later that evening and pulling the proverbial rug from underneath their firmly planted feet.

"Syd? Syd!" Nadia's voice penetrated her thinking mind, and she jumped and looked up at her. "You were a million miles away; ready to go?"

"Ya. Sure. Bye guys, see you tonight." They waved, all three boys blowing them kisses at the same time before the laughed and continued to skate around.

The drive was silent, and though Nadia knew something was bothering her sister, she kept her mouth closed as she figured it was just the usual 'I'm moving away from everything' type of thoughts.

They sat quietly, sharing conversation only formed with single syllable words, and Nadia's leash slowly got shorter and shorter.

"Okay, I can't take this. Is this how the entire night is going to go? Syd, this is the last dinner we may spend together, I don't want it to be like this." She stopped eating, setting down her fork as Sydney sighed, looking down for a moment before reaching into her purse.

"I had lunch today with my dad, and he got the doctor's results from the physicals that Danny and I took. They found something that I'm not quite sure how to handle, and it's been…well…kinda hard to keep it bottled in."

"Syd, you can tell me anything, you know that. I'd hopefully had earned your trust by now."

Sydney smiled lightly, handing her the extracted papers from her purse. It only took Nadia a moment to find the one sentence that would change their lives, looking up at Sydney with wide eyes.

"But I thought you said the test was fine. Everything went normal, that…there was nothing to worry about…"

"Me too. God, Nadia, this is going to change everything. I mean…they prescribed a medication that completely voided what they originally gave…I don't know whether or not to be mad or…upset." She twisted her napkin between busy fingers, Nadia setting her hand over Syd's and forcing her sister to look up at her. "Nadi, how can I tell Vaughn? It's gonna completely crush him…"

"You don't know that…it might persuade my father, and the CIA, to let Vaughn go with you. It's possible they won't wait until after..."

Syd shook her head lightly, dismissing Nadia's thoughts immediately. "No, my father already asked. Michael's too involved with the current operation to leave. We're just…going to have to play it by ear."

"Just tell him before you leave…make sure he can have a say in this as well."

The rest of the evening went quickly, Sydney quickly pushing aside any thoughts of the future for the evening, and she and Nadia managed to get home an hour late.

"Nadi…I'm going to miss you. But, Vaughn's told you the protocol to contact me, right? Marshall says he has your equipment ready." She embraced her sister in a rough hug, tears falling as Nadia turned and walked to her apartment without so much as a glance back.

The house was quiet and Sydney found Vaughn sitting at the kitchen table with several documents and his laptop, typing away several notes until he heard the front door close. He quickly abandoned his work, turning to look at her with a desperate want in his eyes, barely containing his need to hold her. She saw it and quickly glanced at her watch, meeting his eyes once more.

"I called the cab. They'll be here in twenty minutes." She could hear the hurt in his voice and she instantly regretted the time she'd spent with her sister.

"Michael, I'm so sorry I'm late…I lost track of time…I…" she stopped setting her stuff down and lifting the papers from her purse.

"Don't…don't apologize. You needed the time with Nadia. I've monopolized you all week." He stood, making his way slowly toward her, wrapping around her slim waist and rubbing his nose lightly against her cheek. "Danny's ready to go; he's asleep in our…well…my room." He corrected, feeling her pull away and hold out papers for him to see.

"Syd?"

"Just – just read them." She sobbed and he kept his hand around hers. His face went white as he looked around, his wandering eyes settling on her puffy eyes as he dropped the papers to the end table before pulling her back against his chest as he shook his head.

"I thought that you were on…"

"I am."

"Then how did…

"I had this little infection they found when they removed the stitches from that cut I got in Russia – and they gave me some medicine to make sure I didn't get sick from it. Unfortunately, with the tests they just took, they noticed that it counteracts the birth control I'm on. Michael…I can't leave when I'm pregnant - how can I go now?" She cried as he cupped her cheeks to look down at her.

"Baby…it's just another bump in the road. I've just got one more person to come home to when I'm done with this." She smiled, full dimples showing as a car horn pierced the air. "Cab's here." He pulled back but was caught off guard when her lips crashed over his, her tongue swirling over his. He could taste the salt of her tears, or possibly his own, he picked up her stuff and ferried it out to the car.

An hour later she was on the plane, Danny's head resting comfortably on her lap, her hand over the nonexistent bump she knew would eventually grow, flying away from Vaughn; away from her father, and away from her life. Denver looked promising, but deep inside she knew that there wasn't a chance it would be the same.

* * *


	25. Chapter 25: Far and Away

Chapter 25: Far and Away

* * *

Colorado was hot. Very hot.

Only a week after arriving, Sydney and Danny were learning this the hard way as they sat in the middle of the "bare" living room, boxes surrounding them completely, two being used as chairs and one particularly large one being used as a table.

"Momma, I'm hot."

"Me too, sweetie."

"Where is the cold air?"

"The man says he's going to be here tomorrow to fix the air conditioner. In the mean time, we need to finish unpacking."

"I'm too hot. I can watch." He grinned and she shook her head, pointing her finger at him with a smiling glare.

"No you won't. But…I think I know what you'll like to unpack." She rose, waving him up the stairs to his new room.

"My dinosaurs?" he asked with a wide smile, jumping up right on her heels as she pulled out a large yellow, weighty box.

"My water slide!" He giggled, jumping up and down, running over to his small dresser and grabbing his swimming trunks.

"Slow down pal, I need to set it up. Front or back?"

"Front." He grinned, sliding out of his shorts and pulling his little shirt over his head. She helped him get his trunks on the right way and they moved out to the front yard.

"Wait a minute, we need sunscreen." Reaching into the box sitting in front of the bathroom door, she pulled out the bottle of heavy duty suntan lotion.

Danny pushed open the screen door of the light blue suburban home and bolted outside, jumping up and down on the lawn as Sydney set up the long, yellow Slip'n'Slide, checking for rocks before hooking it up to the hose at the front of the house. Water instantly sprayed up, coating the long strip with water. Danny didn't hesitate at all, diving headfirst down the slippery material until he reached the bottom, then repeating the process.

"Hello there." A male voice called from Sydney's left, and she turned to face her neighbor with a smile. He was a relatively handsome man, though nothing like Vaughn, and she kept Danny in sight while making her way over to the small fence separating their two yards. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name's Rick – Rick Warren." He extended his hand over and she shook it gratefully.

"Sydney. Sydney Bristow-Vaughn, pleasure to meet you. Danny and I haven't had too much to meet our neighbors."

"Yeah, I noticed you were pretty busy unpacking. If you ever need heavy lifting, I'm here for ya." He grinned with a wink, and she smiled lightly. "Where's your husband? I haven't seen him around…" there was a small hint of hopefulness in his voice, and Sydney tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, her hair hanging limply from the messy bun atop her head. The light yellow tank top she was wearing was slightly wet around the neck due to the heat of their house mixed with the lifting of heavy objects from heavy boxes.

"Well, he's still back in L.A. for now; he'll be joining us in a few months. We both…well…I used to work for the government, but he's stuck with one last case before he gets a chance to join us."

"Ah, well, that's a bummer. How long have you two been married?"

"A little over four and a half weeks.

"Wow…how old is Danny over there?" He asked, seeing the little boy jumping up and down in the cool spray with a small smile.

"He's four and a half; we adopted him almost two months ago." She turned and looked over at her happy son, a true dimpled grin forming as another little boy scampered from Rick's house and tried desperately to look over the fence and see what was going on.

"Joshua, this is Sydney and that's Danny. They just moved in. How was baseball?" he leaned down, lifting the child up as he smiled over at Sydney.

"Can I play too?" he asked lightly, and Sydney nodded, yelling over at Danny.

"Sweetie, Joshua wants to play too; is that okay with you?" At his gleeful yelp of a yes, she saw the boy squirm out of Rick's hold and scamper off into the house, shedding clothes as he went.

"He's a cutie. How old is he?"

"Five last week."

"Well, I hope he and Danny can be friends. I think he really needs it now." She saw Josh run back out of the house in his little bright green trunks, out the front gate and into her own yard where he and Danny immediately began jumping around and playing in the water.

"Well, I should start lunch, despite not wanting to cook anything with the air conditioner broken," she grumbled, then saw his eyes light up.

"Well, I'm in that line of work if you want me to take a look at it. Free of charge?" he asked and she smiled lightly.

"How about I pay you with lunch?" she asked lightly and he agreed, hopping over the small fence and watching the boys while she grabbed a couple towels from the downstairs bathroom.

"Come on in, guys, let's have some lunch."

"Wow! Your mom's cool!" Josh grinned, letting himself be wrapped up in the towel by his father and hefted into the house.

"I know!" Danny stated as Sydney bundled him up as well and then settled the boys down at the table. Rick went to inspect the air conditioner while Syd prepared sandwiches. Fifteen minutes later she had two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, one with grape jelly and the other with raspberry; one with crust and the other without; Danny's cut into four triangles and Josh's cut into four squares.

"Wow, they're pretty picky, aren't they?" Rick asked, wiping his hands on his jeans as she made two pita bread and turkey wraps. "Well, it looks like you just need a new hose is all, essentially. I've got a spare back at home. I can have you up and running a little later this afternoon if you'd like."

"I would like," Danny announced with a mouth full of sticky peanut butter.

"Dun tak wiff yor mouff full," Josh corrected, ironically with a face full of sandwich as well, making Danny point at the other boy and look up at Sydney with accusing eyes.

"Sweetie, he's kinda right, just went about it the wrong way," She winked over at the other boy as Rick ruffled his son's hair, telling him the same warning Josh had given Danny.

"Well, Danny and I have a special errand to run today, so we'll just see how much time we've got. But I'm willing to do anything for some cool air; I could just leave the door unlocked for you."

"Hey, whatever's good for you."

As they finished lunch, Sydney could see a question brewing in Danny's eyes ever since she'd mentioned the "special errand." Rick and Jeff soon left, Rick announcing that he had to drop Josh at his grandmother's house a couple streets down, and then he'd be back to take care of their air conditioning.

"Mommy, what's the special surprise?" Danny asked the instant the front door was closed.

"You'll see.

"You're not tellin' me?!"

"Nope."

"Why come?"

"Because it's a surprise. Let's get you upstairs and undressed, I'll turn the water off and be right there to get dry clothes on you," she shooed, seeing him about to ask another question. "I'm not telling you, Dans, you just have to trust me." She smiled at him.

* * *

"Dude, come on, let's call it a day." Weiss grumbled as he took another punch in the gut from his friend.

"Eric, I told you not to come or you'd get beat up. Beat up like a little girl." That comment spurred the larger agent on as Nadia entered the lower gym-like facility, seeing the two men circling in the boxing square.

"You've been down here for two hours, and I for one am hungry. Were you planning on coming home to eat the lunch I made?" She asked, hands on her hips as the men stopped and looked over at the intruder.

"Hell, I'm in." Eric removed his little sparring helmet and jumped out of the ring, seeing Vaughn stay where he was. "You comin'? I guarantee that Nadia's cooking doesn't stay in the fridge too long at our place."

"Nah, I'm going to run a few laps to clear my head, then get back to work."

"That's all you do, man, run, kick my ass and work. You need to take a breather," Weiss almost ordered as Nadia left the two of them alone to dress out of their sweaty outfits.

"Weiss, you don't have to baby-sit."

"If Nadi and I didn't baby-sit you, then you'd be skinny and gangly. It's only been a week, Mike; you can't do this the entire time man. Take it easy."

"Maybe I just like to work out."

"Yeah, well, your new routine is giving me a girlish figure. Just take it easy, man. Ten hours of work out a day with twelve hours of desk jockeying and two of sleep isn't going to get you to Denver any quicker." With that he left the room with his duffel bag, seeing Vaughn move over to the punching bag and test it a few times before wailing on it.

Nadia was waiting for him in the office, finishing a few things before they left together.

"How's he doing?" she asked, looping her arm through his as they made their way to Eric's truck in the lot.

"I think he's miserable but just won't admit it."

"Obviously," she grinned lightly, buckling up and taking his hand gently as they headed home.

"I think _you're_ miserable as well, and are even _worse_ at admitting it," he stated, seeing her look up at him with the patented 'give it a rest, Eric' eyes, but he wouldn't back down.

"I miss them too, okay? Talk to me; tell me what's going on in your little head."

"I don't know, it's just been hard. I know Vaughn has a reason to push himself to work harder, and I really don't blame him. But I didn't think I'd miss her as much as I do."

"She's your sister. A sister you just found, Nadi, I think that would be plenty of a reason to miss her a lot. She was a sister to me, too."

They pulled into the assigned spot and parked, Weiss pulling up the handle and stuck his feet out, stopping when he realized Nadia hadn't moved.

"Maybe I'll call her tonight. Use the protocol she set up," she suggested, looking over at him as if it was a question she needed answered.

"I think that's a great idea," Eric smiled, leaning over and kissing her lightly before they both made their way into the joint apartment, a delicious aroma hitting his nose as he opened the door. "Good god, woman, what are you cooking? Smells awesome!" he grinned and loosened his tie, walking into the kitchen. Before he could get too far she shooed him away, handing him the silverware and plates.

"Why are you cooking like this? I mean, it's the middle of the afternoon angel-baby." Weiss' voice was soft and gentle and she turned to look over at him.

"Whenever I get upset, I cook. Sydney cleans and I cook," she tossed him a forced smile as he finished setting the table, making his way behind her. His hands danced over her flat stomach as he set his chin to her shoulder.

"Let's eat," he whispered into her ear, placing a kiss against her temple and releasing her from his gentle hold. He helped her ferry the food over to the table, and she quickly put some in a plastic container for Vaughn, knowing he'd be hungry later.

* * *

"Mommy, come on. I want to see," Danny grumbled, but Sydney was adamant when she'd tied the little blindfold over his eyes.

"Sweetie, if you look, you won't be surprised."

"So?"

"So I want it to be a surprise," she giggled, stopping the car and jumping out to grab her little boy. Before pulling him from the car, she undid the little handkerchief and saw him blink rapidly to adjust his eyes to the blinding light, looking up at a large building.

"Are we at the doctors?" he asked, his face instantly falling, though cheering up a bit when Sydney laughed and asserted they indeed were not at the doctors office.

"Nope. No doctors here that take care of people," she saw him look up in confusion as she took him inside, the blast of cool air refreshing as a bouncing young teenager jumped up and rushed over.

"Welcome to the Dumb Friends League, my name's Tiffany. What can I help you find today?" she asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder and chewing her bubble gum as she winked at the little boy.

"Well, I brought my little guy here to find a pet."

"A pet?!" he jumped up and down, his fully dimpled smile coming out full force as she laughed down at him. "Like my own Donovan?"

"Yep. Surprise!" She smiled as he threw himself at her legs in a giant hug.

Tiffany showed them around. "The dogs and puppies are this way, and the cats and kittens are over here. We also have hamsters, guinea pigs, and other kinds of little furries. The amphibians, snakes and reptiles are located downstairs."

"Well, it's up to you, pal. What kind of pet do you want?"

"I want a puppy, momma" he pointed to the hallway Tiffany had earlier mentioned.

So they went to the puppies, skipping over the larger dogs. They'd been going back and forth for nearly fifteen minutes, each cage full of different cuddly little fur balls with bright eyes and wagging tails.

"Mommy! Mommy! I found him!" Danny was down the hall, jumping up and down before pressing his nose against the glass. Several other families walking by smiled at the exuberant little boy as Sydney caught up.

Behind the window were several little puppies jumping over one another in an attempt to be noticed, but one stayed away from the rest. He was most likely the runt, knowing better than to cross his brother's and sisters' paths as they barked and yipped for attention.

"Hello, I'm Ben. Can I help you with anything?"

An older gentleman, sporting a Santa Claus beard as Daniel shouted, stepped up to the boy and his mother as they watched the dogs jump around.

"We're interested in a puppy from here - may we look at one?" She asked, seeing him take off a large caribeaner full of keys. After searching for a few minutes, he looked down at the little boy.

"Absolutely. Which one ya lookin' for little guy?"

"That one." Danny grinned, pointing to the huddled, nearly sleeping pup in the back.

"You sure? You don't want one of these guys? They're pretty darn cute, and a bit more active than that little runt back there."

"Nope. I want him."

"Alright then."

Ben moved to the back of the display window and opened it, being rushed by puppies as he laughed lightly, pushing them back and grabbing the tiny one in the corner.

"What kind of dogs are these?" Sydney asked as he returned, the little dog nestled safely in his arms. He motioned for them to follow, Danny nearly running to keep up with Ben's long stride.

"These are boxers, ma'am. Fawn boxers. They're a fun lovin' breed, usually pretty playful for the first three years, then they taper off slowly. Aside from being good-natured, they're pretty loveable dogs. They're always up for cuddlin'. My wife and I used to have one, and let me tell you, these dogs will keep you warm at night."

"But it's hot outside." Danny complained making the adults laugh as they entered a special room with several toys and a tiled floor. A chair sat in the corner and Sydney placed herself on it as Ben stepped in, closing the bottom half of the double swinging doors.

Danny played with the little puppy, jumping around as the small dog nipped at his fingers and hands, licking his face and arms as they rolled around on the floor.

"I love him momma, please can he come home with me?" Danny looked up as the dog climbed into his lap, filling it, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he looked up at Sydney with big chocolate eyes, a cute little mug marked with a grin, and floppy ears twitching with each pant.

"If he's the one you want, baby, then we'll get him. How big do they get?"

"They're medium sized dogs, they aren't small, but they don't shed and are easily housetrained compared to other dogs their size."

Ben showed them a separate cage where a full-grown boxer was jumping up at the gate and whining, Sydney reaching in and petting his wet nose.

"He's about four years old, so they'll get about that high. The little one you've got is only about two to around three and a half months old."

The man offered to take them to the front, and while Sydney was filling out all of the necessary paperwork, he took the boxer back to get his shots. An hour later, they were on their way home with their new pet.

"You know sweetie, you have to give him a name." Sydney grinned as she looked in the back, seeing the little pup snuggled in her son's lap, the car seat barely holding the two of them as one of the dogs legs stuck out and hung down.

"Can we call him Vaughn?"

"You wanna name the puppy after your daddy?"

"Well…can he have more than one?"

"More than one name? Sure."

"Runt Vaughn."

"Why Runt?"

"That's what Santa named him."

Sydney laughed as she stopped at a red light, looking at him in the mirror. "Well, when he said runt he just meant that he was the smallest. All of his brothers and sisters were bigger than he was, and they call that the runt."

"Ummm…" Danny paused, looking outside and seeing several things pass. "Apple?"

"A fruit, not a dog."

"Car?"

"Something we drive, not something we wrestle with."

"Denver?"

"Denver. I like it. You wanna call him Denver?"

"Yeah." Danny grinned and scratched the newly named pup behind the ears as they pulled into their house in time for dinner. "What's Denver gonna have?"

"I got some food yesterday, don't worry. He won't starve." She smiled watching Danny haphazardly carry in the dog and plop him onto their hardwood floor. The first thing Sydney noticed was the cool air circulation through from the cooler, and she sent a silent thank you to her newly discovered neighbor for his efforts at fixing their air conditioner before setting out to make dinner.

* * *

Nadia had dropped off a rather large dish at APO, seeing Vaughn in a meeting with Jack and Dixon, leaving it on his desk with a note.

The moment Michael was out of the meeting, he spotted several agents standing around his desk.

"What's up guys?"

"Well, we noticed Agent Santos dropping off this dinner…"

"And wanted me to share? Sorry guys. Nadia's cooking is all I have. Go home and eat what your wives make." He growled with a smile, sending the other agents scurrying away. He plopped down into his seat with the file Jack had handed him.

He didn't want to read another little bit of information on the Anderson's. Anything more and he figured he'd know them by well enough to have them over for Christmas dinner, but – things were never that easy. He lifted the note up, seeing Nadia's handwriting elegantly at the top, 'So much like Sydney's…' he thought, pushing it away as he caught Weiss' handwriting at the bottom. It read only two words:

Joey's Pizza.

Apparently they had both talked to Sydney earlier, and he desperately wanted to reach grab the phone, dial the number he'd memorized within the first five minutes after they'd left, and talk to her for a week. But it was 11:30 pm here in L.A., meaning it'd be around 1:30 am in Denver, and that was just not a good time to call a home with a sleeping four year old boy.

Crumbling the paper up and throwing it away, his cell phone rang making him jump.

"Vaughn…"

"Hey."

His fatigue slipped away as her gentle voice washed over his overemotional mind, causing him to release a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

"Hey." He finally responded, the silence over the phone not one made of discomfort or awkwardness, but something akin to establishing a connection between two separated souls over several hundred miles of terrain.

"Did you get Weiss' note?"

"Yeah. You're calling me on my work phone, you realize that right? This one doesn't have Marshall's little chip in it."

"I don't care. I missed you today…well – not just today. Everyday, and I didn't want to be apart any longer. Knowing you, you'd argue with yourself saying it's too late out here and spend _another_ night at the office with endless pages of information to keep you company."

"So Nadia ratted me out huh?" he grinned, leaning back in his chair and loosening his tie.

"Vaughn, I want you to find them as quick as possible, but I don't want you to be completely miserable and spend every waking moment at work. Sweetie, you need to pace yourself."

"The faster I get the information I need, the sooner I can be with you and Danny in Denver."

"Danny, Denver and I."

"That's what I said."

"No, you said **in** Denver. There's a difference. Your son got a puppy today. Named him Denver."

"He did? What kind?"

"A little boxer. He's pretty cute. Very cuddly. In fact, he snuck out of Danny's room as is giving me the eyes at the end of the bed." She smiled, patting her side as Denver jumped up and immediately curled into her lap. "He's sweet."

"Only been a week and already sleeping with another man."

"Yep."

Another moment of silence spent as she heard him type something on his computer and he heard the panting of the dog as Sydney scratched his stomach.

"Any word on the Anderson's?"

"Nothing so far. I'm leaving for France tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully a contact there will be able to give us a lead."

"I want you to stop and see your mom while you're there. I think it'll do you good."

He could hear the concern in her voice, and he rubbed his hand over his face muffling his sigh.

"Baby, I'm fine. I'm just missing you that's all. I'll take better care of myself, I promise. I just have a file here, one little file, and I'm going to sift through the information then head home."

"Give me your word?"

"I give you my word. I'll sleep until I need to board the plane at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon."

"Good." They were both smiling, regretting that their phone call would have to end soon.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too."

"Tell Danny I love him and miss him, and scratch Denver for me. I'll be in touch."

With that, he hung up, not wanting the words 'good bye' to **ever** end one of their conversations. It was far too final of a phrase in his mind. He grumbled and tucked the phone back into his pocket, flipping over a few pages until he came across an enlarged picture of Ryan Anderson. He had his cell phone up to his ear, showing his left hand perfectly.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Vaughn growled, his eyes widening despite his fatigue. He opened up a folder on his computer and searched through it, the same picture sitting on his desk popping up. He rolled his chair closer to the screen and leaned forward until his nose was practically touching the static-filled glass.

"Vaughn? Trouble with your computer?" Jack asked as he picked up his briefcase, preparing to leave the office for the night.

"Jack, look at this picture. What do you see?" He asked, seeing the senior agent move forward to study the photo in question.

"Ryan Anderson talking on his cell phone. Why? What do you see?" a small grin perked the edges of Bristow's lips, and Vaughn rolled his eyes.

"Look at the hand _holding_ his cell phone."

"Is that…no, we would have noticed it by now."

"Well apparently we didn't. It's the symbol. Damn it, Jack - Anderson's a Follower of Rambaldi."

* * *


	26. Chapter 26: Johnny Jumper

Chapter 26: Johnny Jumper

* * *

"I'm cold," Weiss growled.

"I know," Vaughn sighed, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm wet,"

"I know," Michael repeated.

"I'm cold."

"Dammit, Weiss…I know. I know you're cold, and I know you're wet. But that's what a stakeout is; suck it up."

"You know, since Syd left you've been kind of a jerk. But don't worry…that doesn't mean I don't love you." Eric's voice crackled over his comm., and Vaughn briefly looked up at the small window across the street, seeing Eric flipping him off with a wide grin.

"I hope you get shot, you bastard." Vaughn chuckled, the smirk quickly disappearing as a single shot filled the air, Eric grunting over his comm. as he flew backwards and hit the floor, the bullet slamming into his chest.

"God. Eric!" Vaughn whispered harshly into his com, hearing footsteps as a man jogged across the street and around the corner of the building Eric was in. Without thinking, Vaughn quickly lifted his rifle, aimed and shot. The unknown man slumped against the wall, the bullet wedged in his skull as Michael jumped up and bolted to the front door. He took the four floors two steps at a time before tossing open the door and seeing Eric sprawled prone on the hard cement floor.

"Weiss…come on, man, no…no…this wasn't supposed to happen." He heard shouting and peeked out the window to see more blazer-clad men running for the building and checking on their fallen comrade. He quickly unbuckled the tactical vest and was greeted with the sight of the mangled bullet imbedded in the bigger man's bullet-proof vest. "Thank God, Eric, you wore your vest."

Vaughn yanked him up and heard his partner grunt as Jack Bristow clicked over his comm.

"What happened?"

"We've been sold out and Weiss's position was compromised."

"Is he okay?" Nadia's worried voice jumped in and Michael knew Jack had glared at the young agent.

"Yeah, he was wearing his vest. Get Marshall, I need the schematics of this building." Vaughn ordered, knowing that one was never quick to order any Derevko around. Under the circumstances though, he was pretty sure that being precise wasn't rude.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Vaughn heard Marshall's nervous voice in his ear.

"I need an entry way to a ventilation shaft."

"Whoa…well – talk about obscure. Okay. Give me a minute. Got it. If you go west fifteen feet you'll come across a large metal vent covering a shaft."

"West? No-no-no, Marshall, I need right or left." Vaughn grunted as he slid his hands under Weiss's arms and pulled him out of the room.

"Left."

He turned the appropriate direction and made his way slowly down the hall, Eric groaning each time Vaughn's shin or knee bumped into his upper back.

"Mike? What the hell man?" he asked as he regained full consciousness, looking up at Vaughn with questioning eyes.

"You were shot."

"Wait…didn't you say to me, 'I hope you get shot you bastard'?" he asked with a growl, pulling out of Michael's surprisingly strong grip and holding his throbbing chest as he stood.

"My bad," the other agent grinned, relief shining in his green eyes.

"Marshall, there's no vent here and they're kicking open the door," Vaughn relayed to Marshall as Weiss struggled with his balance for a moment, leaning against a filing cabinet to steady himself.

"Well you're standing right in front of it…"

"Dammit Marshall…right or left side of the hallway?" Vaughn snarled, looking up and down as well as right to left, no grate or vent in sight.

He stopped looking, seeing the edge of a metallic object sticking out from behind the filing drawers.

"Does north have any significance?" Marshall questioned, his grimace only seen by Nadia and Jack as they patiently waited for Vaughn's response.

"No it doesn't, but we found it." Vaughn pushed the cabinets back as Eric quickly switched from the metal structure to the wall, his breathing labored. "You okay?"

"No, dude…I can't breathe. It's like everything is on **fire**." He grunted as they heard pounding footfall up the stairs.

Luck must have been on their side because the screws were missing at the corners, save for the single bolt holding the slated louver in place. He tilted it, making sure it was propped as he grabbed Eric's vest and yanked him to the floor, all but shoving him into the vent before sliding it back in place.

"Vaughn…MIKE! Sydney's gonna kill me," he grumbled as he leaned back against the cold steel and heard Vaughn slide the cabinet back in front of the opening, keeping his friend perfectly hidden.

* * *

"Danny, baby, wanna go on a run?" Sydney asked, hearing scratching paws and stocking feet thundering toward where she was standing in the foyer.

"Yay! Can we go in my new car?"

"Absolutely," she grinned, hauling him over her shoulder to his bedroom, Denver on her heels as she put cool clothes on him and let him pack some of his toys for the playground in his new backpack.

She and Danny had been shopping a few days ago for a swing set for their yard, something both he and Josh could play on, and had come across this stroller shaped like a car. It was perfect for Sydney to push while running, allowing her to take Danny with her instead of leaving him with either Rick – if he was home – or Mrs. Gatsby across the street. The gentle, loving old woman had brought her cookies and a casserole as a housewarming gift a few days after they'd moved in. She and Danny fell in love, and the older woman was always willing to baby sit when Sydney needed her, usually just for going on a run or to an interview.

APO had sent her resume to several different places where her degree in Literature would have some merit. Bear Creek Elementary School as well as Bear Creek High School down the street had been interested in having her apply as well as the Education Department at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. They were always looking for teachers with a passion for children, but either school were at the top of her list. Danny would be starting kindergarten soon and she'd like to be employed beforehand, merely because she didn't wish to spend an entire day alone in the house. It just wasn't her nature.

They'd been adjusting well, though nights seemed to be the worst. Not just for Danny, but for Sydney as well. When the sun went down, and especially after she'd put Danny to bed, she would sit on the couch with her glass of wine and just think. A month had passed, and the longing to be held in Vaughn's arms while she slept was nearly unbearable. She never thought she'd miss someone as much as she missed Michael.

She looked down at her left hand, fingering the gold band and the smaller engagement ring with a sad smile before making her way to bed, Denver usually joining her with puppy kisses and a cuddly little grumble from his chest as they curled up and fell asleep.

Sydney was jarred from her line of thought as Danny babbled on about his new car and playing on the playground, the swings, the slide, the merry-go-round, all of his favorite duckies and the fact that they'd have to take some bread to feed them dinner. She smiled lightly and saw Denver sitting at the door with the end of his leash hanging from his mouth, the loop still hanging on the coat rack and, therefore, attaching the dog to the wall.

"Danny, put on Denver's leash and I'll get the suntan lotion."

She was wearing a pair of athletic pants tied about her waist securely by a matching windbreaker, putting Danny's in the back of the car/stroller in case he would need it. Yanking her hair up into a ponytail and grabbing a bottle of cold water from the fridge, she made her way back out with the sunscreen, pushing the stroller from the back patio to the front door. Danny was sitting on the floor intently trying to hook the clasp of the leash to the puppy's collar. Denver had grown in the last three weeks, as puppies tend to do, and Danny's form slouched on the floor cross-legged made the dog's nose directly in line with his own. Denver took the opportunity to lick the boy's face, making Danny giggle as he gave up and looked over at Sydney.

"Can't get it momma, you have to."

After gathering the dog and the Danny, making sure he was comfortable in the stroller with the small pretend steering wheel sticking up from the center, they made their way into the front yard where she briefly stretched her legs out while leaning on the wooden fence. He scooted up until he was sitting around the steering wheel, beeping the small little horn in the center as Syd laughed while pulling her leg back to loosen up her hamstrings.

"Hey Syd, goin' on a run?" Rick called from his own yard, Josh on his tricycle as his father latched his helmet underneath his chin.

"Yep, then over to the park. You wanna go with us? We've got more than enough room in the cart," she offered, hearing both boys yell 'yay' as the two neighbors left the trike behind and joined Sydney and Danny. Josh climbed in and Rick offered to push as they started their run.

Rick was a math teacher at Bear Creek High School, Sydney had found out during an afternoon play date in Rick's backyard.

"You still thinkin' of teaching at Bear Creek? It's a good high school," he suggested and she laughed.

"You're not being biased?"

"Of course I am, but still. The faculty is great, the principal's a bit of a Nazi, but all in all things even out. Did the interview go over?"

"Yeah, they seemed to like me, but I think I'll look into the elementary school first. Start out small if you know what I mean."

An hour later they circled back to the park, the adults sitting on the bench with Denver as the boys ran off to play. The puppy whined as he watched Danny jump around and laugh, looking with pleading eyes up at Sydney.

"Sorry buddy, you have to stay here with us. Don't need you eating any children out there."

"Okay, so I have to ask. How did you and Michael get the idea of adopting Danny? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for adoption, but isn't it usually older couples or people that have a problem with getting preggers?" Rick asked, turning from the playground and focusing on the young woman next to him.

"Getting pregnant really isn't the issue with us. As I said, Michael and I both worked for the government, and we were constantly going on trips around the world. There was a problem with one particular Foster Care facility and we had to inform them that they were being shut down. The children were being treated poorly; hardly any food, one outfit per child, things like that, so Michael and I were tasked to go. We saw Danny, and it just happened. He was the last little boy there, and we were under orders to bring him back to the states. He grew on us, and we had about a day layover between London and L.A., so we were just one big family for twenty-four hours. We liked it."

"And now he's yours?" Rick asked with a small smile, seeing the devotion to her family shining in her eyes.

"Yep. All ours," she grinned, looking over at him. "So, are you and your wife divorced?"

"No, Sammi died in a car accident when Josh was about six-months old. Drunk driver plowed into her during a snow storm and caused a fifteen car pile-up on the highway. Seven people were killed, my wife being one of them, and another eighteen were injured." He looked down at his own wedding ring with a sad expression, feeling Sydney's hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Nah, it was a while ago. It's just always hard to get over someone that you love."

"About six years ago my first fiancé was killed. Someone broke into his apartment and shot him in the bathroom, and when I got back from a business trip a couple days after I'd seen him…I was the one who found him. I know what it's like to lose someone to a tragedy, so for that I'm sorry." Her smile was genuine as Danny ran up to grab his bag of trucks and digging tools, Josh on his heels as they muttered a quick 'bye' before taking off and jumping into the sandbox.

"Michael and I are going to have a baby." She wasn't exactly sure why she'd said it, but something had to lift the somber mood they'd created.

Rick turned to look at her, seeing her attempt at making their talk less painful, and he set a kiss to her cheek in congratulations, voicing it as well, as they sat and watched the kids play in a comfortable silence, the sun slipping lower in the sky and Denver curling up on Sydney's feet.

* * *

Vaughn ducked into a room opposite the ventilation shaft, finding it to be the kitchen, as he slid into an empty cupboard. He could hear the men talking, surprisingly, he could understand them. They had heavy English accents, very cockney. They had to have been working for Anderson, which means that they were also on the same lead APO was.

He regulated his breathing, hoping they wouldn't be smart enough to search through each cabinet, and his prayers were answered as the closed the swinging doors of the kitchen and exited back out to the hallway.

"Vaughn, answer me. Where are you?" Marshall's voice crackled through his comm., and though he tried to ignore him, he knew the little man could be quite persistent.

"I'm hiding in a cupboard so I don't get shot." He whispered harshly as he stuck his head out, finding the room completely empty.

"I thought you were hiding in a vent," Nadia asked lightly as Sloane butted into the conversation.

"Do you have the location of the artifact?"

"No, we've been a little busy. Anderson's in on it though, he's got his men looking for the map. Any suggestions?"

"Get Weiss and get out. We'll find another way to locate the map." Jack ordered, seeing Sloane object, knowing that the wavering alliances this man still had were the only chance they'd have to find the map before Anderson's men.

"Marshall, have you had any luck deciphering more of the manuscript?" Vaughn asked as he looked around to make sure he was alone before leaning against the doorframe for Marshall to answer.

The Rambaldi manuscript had been brought to APO by the DSR and, after the connection between Anderson and Rambaldi, Sloane assumed that he would be able to pin-point Anderson's next move if he knew what he was looking for.

"Nothing - sorry Vaughn. The only numbers or dates I could find were November 27 and the number 505. I'm still looking though. I created this program in about ten minutes flat that lets me scan in the pages and just reads 'em. Reads 'em, like, perfectly."

"That's great, Marshall, but any other way out of this building? Looking out the window...yeah, they've got men at all of the side entrances."

"I'm willing to bet there front and back as well." Sloane interceded as Marshall had the blueprints and schematics of the building pop up on the large television screen in the conference room.

"Well, it looks like there's a single shaft that leads to the basement, then an entrance into an underground bunker outside the back alleyway. You'll end up across the street."

"Perfect."

"Where is Weiss?" Jack asked sternly, their conversation pointing out that Vaughn was alone in his hiding spot.

"I shoved him into the vent - he's hidden. But we need to get to the basement; Marshall, any shortcuts?"

"Well, not without plummeting five stories. You'll have to crawl through the vents. I've got you here on infrared, so get to Weiss and I'll talk you through it." Marshall grinned, looking up at the other serious-faced agents, some of his thunder lost as he focused back on the screen.

Moving the cabinets and opening the vent Vaughn slid in beside Eric as the larger agent sent him a dirty look.

"If something happens to you when you're playing the Boy Scout, what am I gonna tell Syd, huh?"

"Nothing's gonna happen to me. We're getting out through the vents and into the basement. How's your chest?" Vaughn whispered as they began the crawling trek, trying to keep quiet as they moved.

"Hurts. Think I've broken something, but I'll live. Nothing I can't handle." Weiss spoke quietly back as his labored breathing let Vaughn know he was still close behind him.

Marshall gave them the directions over the comms, and twenty minutes later they finally dropped from the vents and onto the cold cement floor of the basement.

"Sorry for, you know, getting you lost a bit. My images were backwards and so everything just looked…well…backwards." The techie stuttered as he heard Weiss grunt a scoff through his ear.

"We'll brief when you get to the safe house. Hopefully we'll be able to plot Anderson's next move, and we can only pray that the map to the artifact wasn't in that building." Sloane ordered and both agents confirmed, making their way to the hidden black van two blocks away.

"Well, that was a success. Damn it," Michael growled as Eric unhooked his tack vest and tossed it aside, massaging his chest.

"Yeah – well you didn't get **shot**,"

"Touché," Vaughn grinned as he looked into the rearview mirror.

* * *

"Danny! Bedtime!" Sydney yelled up the stairs as she heard more playing going on than actual sleep-time preparation.

"Five more minutes!"

"No way, pal, you said that five minutes ago. It's time for bed so brush your teeth and I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in." she called, getting his medicine all sorted out, still wary of all the new prescriptions Dr. Patterson had prescribed. Danny was going to have his first treatment tomorrow, and though they'd visited Patterson two weeks ago, he'd started Danny on some new meds to hopefully make the process run a bit more smoothly.

After he was ready and tucked into the small bed, she sat next to him and handed over his pills.

"Why so many?"

"Because Dr. Patterson said it's going to make your shots go easier when you get them."

"We didn't leave it behind?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, setting the empty glass on the nightstand and stretching out, though her lower legs hung off the end of the short bed due to her size.

"We left Dr. Parson back there, why not my germs?"

Sometimes Sydney forgot that he was a sick little boy. At times, it was easy to see him as a bouncy little four year old that lived life to its fullest each day, but on nights like this, she knew the questions that he'd stuffed down or forgotten were weighing on him.

"Sweetie, this isn't that kind of sick. This is something that your body can only fight off with help from the doctors."

"I don't like 'em."

"I know you don't, but tomorrow will be fine. Why are you so worried?" she finally asked, trying to get to the core of her son's fears.

"Daddy won't hold my hand." He looked over at Sydney with big green eyes as she gave him a sad smile. "You will hold my hand, won't you mommy?"

"Of course I will, baby, I promise. I'll be there every single time until Daddy meets us, and then we'll both go. Deal?" she asked, as she ran a protective yet soothing hand through his hair in an attempt to console the worry that they were both feeling.

"Will you sing me my lullaby?" he asked with a whisper, his eyes already beginning to close with her fingers running patterns through his hair.

_"Slumber my darling,_

_Thy mother is near._

_Guarding thy dreams_

_From all terror and fear._

_Sunlight has past_

_And the twilight has gone._

_Slumber my darling,_

_The night's coming on."_

Sydney didn't think she had the most wonderful voice in the world, though she had to admit that the voice lessons her nana had taken her to when she was younger had paid off, she could at least carry a tune. She'd sung this particular lullaby for Danny on one of his first nights with her and Vaughn. He'd woken up from a nightmare, screaming and soaked with sweat, and as she cradled him to her chest, tears in her own eyes, she'd started singing. It had always calmed her down when she was young, listening to her father's deep voice as he sang the beautiful melody and lyrics. It was something she'd treasure for the rest of her life, and the song had quickly become Danny's lullaby.

_"Sweet visions attend thy sleep._

_Fondest; dearest to me._

_While others their revels keep_

_I will watch over thee."_

Her fingers roamed lightly from his head to his sweet face, tracing the edge of his eyebrows with her first finger while her thumb lightly rubbed circles over his round cheek.

_"Slumber my darling,_

_The birds are at rest._

_Wandering dews_

_From the flowers are caressed._

_Slumber my darling,_

_I'll wrap thee up warm._

_Pray that the angels_

_Will shield thee from harm."_

He slept as she sang; her voice and hands soothed the small wrinkles on his forehead as Denver peeked in through the doorway. She paused, taking a moment to watch him as he slept. His mind still couldn't fully grasp the idea of his illness, not knowing that if the treatment failed, and the cancer spread, he wouldn't survive to see his tenth birthday. Her eyes filled with tears, and with a watery voice she kept singing - quieter to make sure he stayed sleeping.

_"Slumber my darling_

_'Till morn's blushing ray,_

_Brings to the world_

_The glad tidings of day._

_Fill the dark void_

_With thy dreaming delight._

_Slumber thy mother_

_Will guard thee tonight._

_Thy pillow shall sacred be,_

_From all outward alarm._

_Thou – thou art the world to me,_

_In thy innocent charms._

_Slumber my darling_

_The birds are at rest._

_Wandering dews_

_By the flowers are caressed._

_Slumber my darling,_

_I'll wrap thee up warm_

_Pray that the angels,_

_Will shield thee from harm."_

Pressing her lips lightly to his forehead, singing between kisses, she placed her head on the pillow with him, content to stay beside him for the rest of the night if it would mean that he would be okay – that he wouldn't be afraid. She heard Denver curl up next to the bed as she drifted off, a parting kiss to Danny's temple as she fell asleep beside the little boy.

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is. I beta'd the last half because my stupid Yahoo e-mail isn't really liking me or my lovely beta Sarah. In fact, I'd say its being a jerk. But she did manage to get the first half done, and I love her LOADS for that! Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop me a review to let me know what you're thinkin'!

-Jean


	27. Chapter 27: Doctor Shmoctor Part 1

Chapter 27: Doctor Shmoctor Part 1

* * *

Danny woke up snuggled in a warm cocoon. He opened his eyes lightly to look up at his mommy as she slept with her arms around his small frame tucked against her chest. He smiled gently, smelling the perfume she wore. In the mornings when she'd walk in to wake him up, there were times when he was already awake, though he pretended to be asleep. She'd lean in after getting dressed and ready for the day, placing light kisses on his forehead and cheeks while softly calling his name, and he always enjoyed smelling the light spray of perfume she'd placed against her throat as he opened his eyes in the morning.

He looked up and saw the frown marring her face, knowing she was sad about something. He picked up his little hand, running it through her hair as far as he could reach, fingers brushing against the barrette she used to hold her bangs back away from her eyes. He traced her eyebrows with a small round finger as her eyes fluttered open to look down at his wide-awake green eyes.

"Hi, mommy," he smiled quietly as she grinned and kissed his forehead.

"Morning. What are you up to?" she asked softly, pulling him closer as she glanced at her watch with panic-filled eyes to make sure they hadn't slept through Danny's appointment.

"Wakin' you up like you do me. I saw that you were sad," he responded.

"I was sad?"

"Mmhmm. You only let me sleep in your bed or stay with me when you're sad," he concluded as he set his head back down against her chest as her fingers absent-mindedly ran through his hair. It had become her little habit with both Vaughn and Danny, allowing herself to be connected to them both for a short time.

"Well, I'm happier now, sweetie."

"Me too, mommy." He sat up and looked down at the sleeping puppy on the floor. "I'll bet he got cold last night," he fretted.

"Nah, he's furry. That's why some animals have all that hair," Sydney grinned and leaned down to furiously rub the large puppy's round stomach. "To keep them toasty warm. We've got about an hour before we need to leave, you wanna make some breakfast with me?"

"Yeah!" he jumped off the bed and ran for the door, startling the dog awake as he grumbled and picked his head up off of his paws. "C'mon, Denver! It's breakfast time!"

Sydney laughed as Denver bounded up and followed the little boy, the canine's floppy ears bouncing every which-way as she made her way to the kitchen behind them.

After breakfast and a bubble bath, Danny was desperately trying to lace his shoes while Syd watched from the doorway.

"Baby, we're gonna be late. Let me help you, please?"

"No, I wanna do it my own way," he growled, his small tongue poking out the side of his mouth as Sydney grabbed the digital camera off of the mantle and snapped a quick picture of him and his effort at tying his shoes.

"Why do you take so many, momma?" he asked as he finally knotted it (Sydney just knew that she'd spend several long minutes getting them unknotted at the end of the day) and jumped up to grab at her hand.

"So we can send pictures to your daddy."

"I miss him," he mumbled, rubbing his cheek against Sydney's hand as they walked out to the car sitting in the hot driveway.

"Dan! Where you goin'?" Josh called from his front yard, abandoning his toys as he stuck his nose over the short fence.

"Gotta go to see the doctor," he grumbled and climbed into his seat. Rick set his gardening tools down as he kicked the base of the tree he was planting.

"You sick, little man?" he asked while Sydney buckled him into his carseat, closing the door as Danny shook his head lightly.

"I'll tell you about it later, right now we're running late. How about dinner, guys? You grilled last week," she offered, seeing Rick smile and Josh jump up and down with a delighted shout. "It's a deal. If Danny's feeling well we'll definitely do it. And maybe I'll help you put that tree in," she grinned with a wink and hopped into the car, closing the door on Rick's reply of, "I'm a man, Sydney, I can take care of my own damn tree!"

"Daddy, you shouldn't say bad words," Josh scolded as his father stuck his tongue out at his little boy and tackled him into the grass. Sydney and Danny pulled out of the driveway and headed to the doctor's office.

Danny was tested, run through the gauntlet, and basically feeling completely depleted by the time they actually got around to giving him his treatment. She sat with his hand firmly inside hers, his little fingers clutching her larger ones as they waited patiently for it to be over.

"Almost, sweetie, almost," she promised and kissed his temple as he leaned against her shoulder.

"I hate this …" he growled and they both looked up as Dr. Patterson walked into the room where they were sitting.

"How are you doing, Danny?"

"Time to go home?" he asked hopefully.

"About five more minutes is all; you're doing very well." He grinned and ruffled the boy's hair, seating himself across from Sydney. "Now, just to let you know, with any kind of new medicine it could probably make you kinda sick. If you're feeling bad let your mommy know and definitely don't keep it a secret," he ordered, seeing the little boy nod his head as Dr. Patterson turned his focus on Sydney.

"Just to ask, are there any other children in the home?"

"Well…not yet. I'm about three months along," she blushed as the doctor smiled at her.

"Well, I've got some great doctors, a few OB/GYN friends if you're interested."

Danny looked between the two, a small frown marring his face as he tried to concentrate on the conversation. He didn't understand what his new doctor was talking about. Three months of what? Why did his mommy need a doctor?

"No, thank you, I'm seeing someone already, but I do appreciate the thought," she smiled as Patterson unhooked Daniel, placing a cotton ball against his skin where the needle had once been.

"You're all done, buddy. Take it easy for a while, just to let your body get used to the medicine. I promise you can go back to your normal routine in a couple days." He and Sydney stood at the same time and shook hands.

She stood him up on the chair he'd been sitting in, grabbing his folded clothes from the edge of the bed and pulling them over his slim body.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asked as she noticed the concerned look on his face.

"Yeah…" he muttered, lifting one leg then the other as she slid his flip flops onto his feet. "Mommy, can you carry me?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her neck as she pulled him close.

"Sure, baby." They walked out of the office with him snuggled against her chest. He looked pale as she loaded him into the car and she ran a hand over his forehead to test his temperature.

"Okay, we're going home," she decided and his face crumpled.

"No, mommy, I feel fine! We have to find a swing set!" he pleaded as she closed the door on his begging and climbed into the front seat.

"I'm sorry, honey, but we can't go shopping if you don't feel well," she apologized as his eyes filled with tears and slipped down his round cheeks.

"Please? I promise I'll be good, I promise!" he sobbed, his little hands covering his eyes as she drove home, his crying tearing at her heart. She pulled into the driveway, seeing Rick still struggling with the large tree, and though it had moved a scant few inches since the last time she'd seen it, it was still posing as a problem to her neighbor.

"Come on, sweetie, let's get you inside and into bed." She lifted him out, and though he was still sobbing, he placed his head on her shoulder as Rick looked up to see her carry him hurriedly into the cool house.

The second he was slightly jostled he lost his breakfast down the front of Sydney's shirt.

"Oh…sweetie," she soothed, bypassing the bedroom and going straight to the baby blue painted bathroom at the end of the hall. She managed to get him over the toilet before he heaved again, his small sobs mixed in with the retching sound being torn from his throat.

"Syd?" Rick's voice floated up the stairs as he walked into the house, kicking off his dirty boots at the front door before following the sounds up the stairs. "Everything okay up…?" he stopped mid-sentence as he saw Sydney kneeling behind the sick little boy, supporting his entire weight as he threw up, her shirt stained and sticking to her skin.

"Let me help," he offered and held him up away from her chest. "Why don't you go change, grab him some extra clothes and then come back? Hopefully he'll be a bit more calm when you do," Rick suggested, squatting down as Danny stopped for a moment to catch his breath, his head tilting forward and bumping against the seat of the toilet. Setting his hand underneath his chin to keep his head upright, Rick waited for Sydney to come back into the room.

She was wearing a light blue long sleeved shirt when she came back in and saw Danny still dry heaving while cradled in Rick's arms. When his stomach was completely empty, she wet a washcloth to wipe her little boy's face off, lifting him into her arms and taking him into his bedroom.

"What's going on, Syd? He seemed fine when you two left," Rick questioned her.

"He's…well…he's a very sick little boy," she trailed off as she pulled Danny's shoes off and settled him into the bed. She ran her hand through his hair until he fell into a feverish sleep.

She motioned for him to follow her out of the room and back down to the kitchen, trying to ignore his curious and caring stare.

"Danny has a cancer and today was his first treatment. After a few tests, the doctor decided it would be worth it if Danny started a new medicine as well as the stuff he was taking back in L.A.," she explained, pouring two glasses of water and sliding one over to him before joining him at the table.

"Is that why you adopted him?"

She looked around for a moment, her eyes finally landing on her purse. Reaching in, she grabbed a gold tube of lipstick and twisted it lightly. Rick jumped when it beeped and she looked up at him with a serious expression.

"This is a bug. There's a microchip in this lipstick that allows us to have a safe conversation. What I'm going to tell you is something you can't tell **anyone**. _No_ one," she ordered with a pointed finger, seeing his unsure look.

"Vaughn and I-"

"Vaughn?"

"Michael. My husband. Everyone in L.A. calls him Vaughn; it's just the rank thing. Agent Michael Vaughn was just Vaughn. Understand?"

His slight nod was her confirmation as she leaned forward, her voice low.

"Vaughn and I were on a mission. There are these people, they're very bad people. The man's wife has terminal cancer, and he had been testing children in horrifying experiments in order to try and find the right child."

"Right child?"

"A child with the blood that was perfect to fight off the cancer in his wife. We don't know if he succeeded, but when we infiltrated his, let's just say, laboratory, Danny was the only kid left alive. I pulled him out and spent two days with him, taking care of him, and he started to grow on me. I was the only one he'd trust and I decided I wanted to adopt him. Long story short, now Michael and I are married and we've adopted Danny."

"So…Vaughn – Michael – Vaughn… is working on catching these people?" Rick was horrified at the thought that children were being killed by these people for their own personal experiments.

"Yes."

"So, when you say 'worked for the government', you mean like, FBI? CIA?"

"Yes."

"So, when you say 'yes', you mean you're not saying anything?"

"Yes."

She smiled tightly, looking over at her friend before she heard Danny calling for her from his room. "I'm gonna go take care of him, and when he's asleep I'll come help you move your tree."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to. Thank you for today," she smiled and stood, kissing his cheek as she ushered him out to the front and said goodbye before jogging up the stairs.

"Mommy?" Danny called with a hoarse voice as she grabbed the glass of water off of his dresser and sat next to him on the bed.

"Hey, baby, I'm right here, honey. How are you feeling? You didn't sleep too long," she stated, looking down at the watch on her wrist as he held his stomach.

"Gonna do it again…" he grumbled as she pulled him up gently and leaned him over the trashcan she'd set next to his bed earlier this morning. She wanted to be prepared in case he got sick, and now she wasn't regretting the decision. When he was done she took the small washcloth and wiped his mouth, tilting the cup as he took a tentative sip.

"Are you sick like me?"

"What do you mean, sweetie?"

"Did I give you my germs?"

Sydney saw tears in his eyes and she cupped his chin to make him look up at her. "Why do you think that?"

"My doctor said he wanted you to see his doctor friends. Are you sick like me?"

She smiled widely; though she'd been dreading this conversation for a while, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she'd thought.

"I'm not sick like you, baby, I'm a…a different kind of sick."

"You lose your tummy in the morning,"

"Yeah, sometimes I do. You know that daddy and I love you, right?"

"Uh-huh,"

"You're gonna have a little brother or sister soon," she stated and took his hand, setting it against her stomach.

"Really?" he asked, looking from his hand up to her smiling face. "You gonna give me away?"

"Absolutely not. We're going to keep you both because we love you. You don't ever have to worry about that, okay?"

"Okay. Where is it?"

"It's in my stomach."

"Gross," he pulled his hand back and she laughed, lifting up her shirt. Thought it was hard to see, her usually taut abdomen had a small bulge forming. "Right here?" he poked it and she giggled with a nod.

"Yep, right there. But don't worry, it won't come out for a little while. We've got time."

He smiled weakly, pulling at her arm until she was lying next to him on the bed. Danny tucked his head into her shoulder as he drifted off to sleep, Sydney watching him with a small smile before slipping out from behind him and walking out of the room. The phone rang in the distance, and she remembered that she'd turned off the upstairs phone in case Danny was sleeping in the afternoon. Hitting the top stair as the machine picked it up, she smiled at the sound of her and Danny's recorded voices filling the air.

_"This is Sydney,_

_This is Danny!_

_We can't come to the phone right now,_

_Leave lotsa messages!"_

The beep echoed as she reached the bottom step, a warm familiar voice making her bolt to grab the receiver.

"Hi, baby, it's me. I was just calling to - well…to see how you," she cut him off as she quickly spat out a breathless hello, a large smile on her face.

"Vaughn?"

"Hey," he smiled into the phone, Weiss asleep on the large bed with a hand across his chest as Vaughn kept watch.

"I miss you so much; it's been such a horrible day," she sobbed as her protective wall broke at the sound of his soothing voice.

"Sydney, sweetie, what happened? Is Danny okay?"

"He had his first treatment today…a-and the doctor gave him new medicine," she paused, flopping down on the couch with the cordless phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder before continuing with a strained voice, "and he got so sick, Michael – so very sick. I…I don't know how to do this!"

"Sydney, you're strong. You can do this, I know you can. It's just gonna take a little while for him to get used to the medicine, that's all. Is he just not feeling well?"

"No, he threw up until I thought his stomach was going to fall out." She heard his light chuckle, letting a grin slip through as she wiped angrily at the tears falling down her cheeks.

"It's gonna get better. You have to believe that it will," he soothed. The palms of his hands itched he wanted to hold her so bad, just to brush away the hair from her face and rub the tears away with his thumbs.

"I wish you were here," she whispered.

"You know I wish I was there," he whispered back.

"Where are you? Is Nadia there?" she asked, changing the subject as she pulled the phone away for a moment to listen and see if she heard the sleeping little boy upstairs.

"Weiss is here, but he's had a rough day as well. We're in Venice."

"What are you doing there?" she asked, distraught at the thought that he was on a mission.

"We've been on a stakeout for about a day now, watching an associate of Anderson's to see if the guy was going to make a move on a map designed by Rambaldi," he tried to explain.

"Rambaldi?!" she cut him off, sitting up straight as she listened intently.

"Yeah, I found the symbol on his hand while going through some old photos." He sighed and leaned back against the uncomfortable chair, his back protesting with a loud series of pops as he propped his booted feet up on the adjacent table.

"He's a follower," she said slowly.

"Yep. Which also means that his experiments could have been something Rambaldi related – which also _could_ mean that we've dived back into the shark infested waters."

"Is there anything I can do to help? I've seen the manuscript," she offered, hearing the despair in his voice.

"Vaughn?" Weiss' rusty voice called from the bed as he struggled to sit up, his hand firmly over his sternum. "Pain-killers?" he asked quickly, seeing Michael talking on his secure cell. "Sydney?"

Vaughn merely nodded, seeing a light go off in Eric's eyes. He shook his head, turning away from his friend as he rejected the idea of giving up some of the precious time he was spending with his wife.

"Was that Eric? He doesn't sound too healthy," she fretted.

"Yeah, it was him, and no, he's just a sissy," Vaughn laughed.

"I got shot! Syd, your dumb-ass husband got me shot!" he yelled, hearing Sydney's 'WHAT!?' over the small phone's earpiece. "See? At least **she** cares," Weiss added petulantly.

"Shut up. He's fine, Syd, he was wearing a vest. Looks like he probably broke a rib, that's all. APO wants to have a video-phone conference just so the doctor can look at his chest, and he's being such a big wuss about everything," he left off, seeing Eric flip him off again before handing him the ibprufen from the first aid kit. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you did that? I'd keep that bad boy tucked away for now," Vaughn added.

Weiss flopped back down onto the dusty coverlet, throwing an arm over his eyes before falling back to sleep a few moments later.

"How's Nadia?" Sydney finally asked, though she'd received her sister's e-mail two weeks ago, she hadn't mentioned anything about the mission the boys were now on.

"She's good - missing you. And your father is a nervous wreck. I guess after nearly thirty years of watching your back and standing over you to make sure you're safe is beginning to set in now that you're not here. How's Danny? I mean, other than today of course," Vaughn said.

"He's doing well. Our neighbor, Rick, has a little boy named Josh who's only a few months older than Danny, so they've been best friends since we moved in."

"Rick? Who is this Rick guy?" Vaughn asked with a small element of curiosity mixed with jealousy in his voice, making her grin at his protectiveness.

"He's our next door neighbor, and a very sweet guy. He's helped me out a lot since we arrived, helping me unpack the heavy stuff, get the furniture into the house, stuff like that."

"You sound quite attached to this Rick," Vaughn stated flatly.

"Well, he's a good guy. Would it make you feel better if I gave you all of his information so you and my father can run a background check?" she joked, though stopped laughing when he failed to join her. "I was kidding, Vaughn," she continued.

"I know, but hey – you can never be too careful, right?"

"I had my first doctor's appointment last week." She tried to change the subject.

"Really?" She could hear the muted excitement in his voice as she smiled, curling back into the couch and tucking her feet underneath her slim frame.

"Yep. They scheduled the sonogram for next week when I'll officially be three months. I wish you could be here for that," she mumbled, her voice soft as they sat quietly for a moment, Vaughn lost in thought.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there today," he finally said.

"It's okay. But I'm glad you called. I really needed to hear your voice," she responded.

"Yeah."

They sat quietly until someone knocked on the door. She turned to see Mrs. Gatsby standing at the door with a steaming bowl cradled in her hands.

"Mrs. Gatsby is here," Sydney smiled at the gentle older woman and stood to open the door for her as Michael commented that he really didn't know who Mrs. Gatsby was. "I know, sorry. She's our neighbor across the street. She watches Danny when I need her, and is a wonderful woman."

"Afternoon, love. I heard from Rick that Daniel was sick, so I made him my special soup as quick as I could! There's plenty for you as well, dearie; you need to keep up your strength with that little one growing in there!" The woman breezed in, commandeering the house with a flourish of words and hands as the soup bowl teetered on her palm.

"Hang up that phone and help me dish this up, young lady - it's lunch time," she ordered, making Sydney laugh as Vaughn begged her not to hang up quite yet.

"Give me a few more minutes to talk, and then I'll help you with lunch. Besides, Danny's asleep right now anyway," she tossed a wink to the elder woman as she moved back to the living room.

"I gotta go. Once that woman gets an idea she doesn't stop. If she says it's lunchtime, then it's lunchtime." Her voice was apologetic, and she heard the distant rumble of thunder through the screen door and open window.

"I love you, Sydney, and I'm going to call tonight to talk to Danny. I promise that I won't calculate what time it is over there, I'll just call." Promising with a smirk on his face, she scoffed at him. Sydney reentered the kitchen as Mrs. Gatsby grabbed a couple bowls from the cupboard over the dishwasher.

"He'll be so happy to get to talk to you, I can't wait to tell him. I love you too, sweetheart, be safe, okay? Take care of Eric."

They hung up simultaneously and she blinked back tears before remembering she had an audience.

"The soup smells great – um, what kind is it?" she sniffled, wiping away a tear at the corner of her eye as she moved past the sympathetic lady to grab some soup spoons.

"Lovey, you didn't have to hang up on him. I'm sorry I pushed you, I didn't realize you were talking to Michael," she set a comforting hand to Sydney's arm.

Sydney brushed her off with a dimpled smile and a small laugh, blaming it all on overactive hormones until she saw Danny standing in the kitchens foyer, pale and sluggishly walking toward her. She quickly walked over to him, lifting him gently as he set his head to her shoulder and smiled with a weak wave over at Mrs. Gatsby.

"Daniel, I made soup. Can you eat any?" Mrs. Gatsby asked him gently.

"My tummy is angry," he whimpered.

"I know it is, but it's something light. Why don't you sit with your mommy while I get you some?" She ran a wrinkled hand through his hair and he nodded, nuzzling farther into Syd's neck.

Before settling down at the table, Sydney moved to the living room to grab a blanket from the back of the couch and wrap it around his tiny body as they snuggled together in one of the comfy rocking chairs that circled the table.

They ate their soup, Danny sipping the broth with Sydney's help before he drifted back to sleep against her chest while the women talked.

She explained Danny's condition, leaving out the part about her previous line of work, saying that Danny's cancer was sudden and unexpected. While being half true, she hated lying to the caring woman since she'd taken such good care of the little boy whenever she was called to do so.

"Well, I just think that it's wonderful that you adopted him even though he was sick. At least now he can get the treatment he needs. Well, you go ahead and relax, I'll call this evening to check up on you both." She kissed Danny's forehead lightly and Sydney's cheek, leaving the two sitting at the table after placing the bowls and spoons – despite Sydney's orders to leave them – into the dishwasher before exiting quietly.

* * *


	28. Chapter 28: Doctor Shmoctor Part 2

Chapter 28: Doctor Shmoctor Part 2

* * *

Eric released a groggy growl as his cell phone vibrated against his stomach, and he vaguely remembered setting it there in case he got a call. Flipping his hand up to lift the phone, he grunted as pain rippled through his chest and ribs at the slight movement and snarled an unfriendly "What?!" into the receiver.

"You know, if you're going to be like that I won't call and ask how you're doing," Nadia scolded.

"Sorry, Angel-baby," he offered and heard her chuckle.

"That's what I thought. Marshall got some new intel I think you and Vaughn need to see. Get your computer hooked up," she ordered. He complied, kicking Vaughn's foot and jostling him awake from the light doze he'd fallen into, rubbing the sleep from his own eyes as he opened the laptop on the table.

"What's goin' on?" Vaughn asked with a scratchy voice, sitting up in his chair and taking his feet from the table in an effort to hear what Nadia was saying to Eric through his small phone.

Setting it on the table, Weiss turned on the loudspeaker as Nadia continued to talk.

"Vernon Bercinelli was a mob man, but since he left that so called 'business' Anderson hired him to use his men as security. He also used his summer house as a storage for Rambaldi artifacts."

"How the hell did Marshall get this information?" Vaughn asked as Eric opened up his secure e-mail and saw the information on Bercinelli and a large picture of the man in question.

"It's Marshall," she laughed and the boys could hear her typing through the pause in the conversation. "Plus…it seems like he's having a little get-together tomorrow evening at his villa."

"How many is 'a little'?" Vaughn asked, knowing that with Weiss' injured chest he'd be the agent going undercover.

"Couple hundred," she replied and Vaughn sighed. "You're going to need an outfit and Jack's going to e-mail you your alias and instructions on how to get in, so you might want to spend an hour or so in the next sixteen purchasing a suit." Nadia looked around, seeing the offices nearly empty save for Marshall typing away at the computer in his section, and leaned over her keyboard. Propping herself with her elbow she spoke in a low tone over the phone. "Eric? Can I talk to you personally for a moment?"

"Duty calls man, sorry." Weiss winked and hit the button to effectively end the loudspeaker conversation, leaving Nadia with only him. "What's up?"

Vaughn made kissey faces to his friend as he ducked the weak punch Weiss tossed in his direction. "I'm gonna get some shut eye; wake me up so I have time to get something to wear for this damn thing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Eric grumbled, situating himself in the semi-uncomfortable chair as he listened to Nadi breathing over the phone. "You still there, angel-baby?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"You okay?"

"I was worried."

"About me?"

"Mmhmm," she muttered, their conversation bringing tears to her eyes as she tried to focus on her quickly blurring monitor.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Nadi, it wasn't exactly my intention to get shot," he promised as he made himself comfortable and tucked the phone into his palm to rest it lightly against his ear.

"Oh, I know Eric, I was still worried." Nadia leaned back in her chair as she sighed and pretended to focus on the screen in front of her. "I still am as a matter of fact," she added.

"You don't have to be. Mike's the one going out to the swanky party and I'll just stay in the van, nurse my wounds, and not drink champagne and enjoy some of those little tiny desserts," he growled, though his smile came slowly and he closed his eyes at the sound of her laughter.

"You always know how to make me smile, Eric. It's one of your many talents," she smirked.

"Well, it's one of many. But I do have to admit that I miss you. I kinda wish you were here with me instead of Vaughn, because, frankly, he's a kicker when he sleeps," Eric replied.

"Does he steal the blankets?"

"Constantly. I don't know how Sydney puts up with him,"

"I was going to give her a call and see how everything is going, but I ended up dialing your number." She sighed, seeing Jack Bristow walking her way.

"I think you should call her. As good as it will be for you, she'll probably benefit more from hearing from you. But that's just Dr. Weiss' recommendation," he said.

"Well, thank you so much, doctor," she paused, and he briefly heard Jack's voice in the distance. "I need to go, my father and Jack want to have a meeting. Talk to you soon?"

"Can't wait," he smiled.

"Don't worry about 'nursing your wounds', Eric, that's my job for when you get home." She left him on a cliffhanger, ending the call before he had a chance to reply.

"That was hot," he grinned and tossed the phone next to the computer. He re-read the e-mail, studying up on the information as Vaughn slept, trying to keep his mind off of the excitement boiling in his stomach at the prospect of Nadia's "treatment" of his injuries.

* * *

Evening had settled in and Sydney and Danny had spent the time playing Candy Land™ and watching movies. He'd begun to feel a bit better, and though he would lose his stomach now-and-again, his color was coming back and that was relieving some of Sydney's worry. The phone rang a few minutes into _Land Before Time_™, and Sydney reached out for the cordless sitting on the coffee table next to their feet.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby," Vaughn had just woken up, sudden panic rising in his chest as he tried to remember the time in Denver. He'd completely forgotten about his promise to call and check on Danny.

"Hey," she smiled and grabbed the remote, the sudden freeze of the movie making Danny look up at her from where he was resting his head on her lap.

"Please tell me he's still awake? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I'd missed out on my promise to call," he asked quickly and she could hear the apprehension in his tone.

"Yeah, he's right here. Hold on a sec." She took the phone away from her ear and looked down at Danny's questioning face. "Your daddy wants to talk to you," she whispered to him.

"Really?" His eyes brightened. "Daddy?" he asked quietly into the receiver, maneuvering a bit on the couch as Sydney got up and moved into the kitchen.

"Hey, Dans, how are you doing? I talked to mommy earlier and she said you were pretty sick," Vaughn said.

"Yeah, but my tummy is just a little angry now, not a lot. You coming home?"

"Soon," he promised, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be a lie. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Watchin' _Land Before Time™._ It's got Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky and I love it! Mommy says that when I'm all better she is gonna take me an' Josh to see the dinosaurs at the museum."

Vaughn felt the need to hold his little boy in his arms, his mind slipping away to a scene he'd often fantasized over: him coming home from work and Danny jumping into his arms. Sydney and the new baby upstairs in the nursery as dinner cooked in the oven. The happy sound of his son's voice lulled him, not as much as Sydney's, but then again nothing could calm him more than a softly spoken word or a loving caress from his wife.

"I wish you could go with us, daddy. We get to see all the dinosaurs from the book you read me."

"Me too, pal, but I promise I'll take you right after I get out there. So tell me about Denver," Vaughn prompted his son.

"He's got big floppy ears and a fat tummy," Danny described.

Michael laughed at Danny's innocence, shaking his head before heremembered that his son couldn't see him over the phone. "No, no, the city of Denver. Do you like it? Are you making any friends?"

"Oh," Danny grinned as the aforementioned puppy trotted over and jumped onto the couch to curl up next to the little boy. "Mmhmm, me and my  
over-the-fence family are pals."

"Your 'over-the-fence family'? You mean neighbors?" Vaughn inquired mildly.

"Yep. That's Rick an' Josh. Rick an' Josh are always hangin' out with us. Josh an' me play baseball and Rick an' Mommy talk at the park, and go on runs, and he even sits on me."

"Baby-sits, sweetie," Sydney called from the kitchen as she fought th urge to lift the receiver and listen to the conversation between father  
and son.

"That's what I said, Momma, baby-sits. Josh and me are gonna be on soccer team," Danny continued.

"Oh really? That sounds like fun! Where are you gonna play?"

"In the grass," Danny rolled his eyes, the unspoken 'duh' hanging in the air.

"Daddy, did you know that mommy is gonna give me a brother?" Danny change the subject to something more important to him.

"Or a sister!" Sydney corrected and Vaughn smiled at her shout, though much quieter on his end than Danny's.

"Yeah, I did know. Are you happy about that?" Vaughn was curious about Danny's reaction to yet another change in his life in such a short time.

"Uh-huh, I want it to be a brother."

"Well, I hope you're right, but it might be nice to have a little sister.You know, some one to take care of." Vaughn hated to end the conversation  
but he could see Weiss waking up and knew they had to get back to work.

"Well…I have to let you go, pal, let me talk to your mommy."

"You don't have to, you can talk to me – I don't have to sleep," Danny pleaded, the sound of his small voice breaking Vaughn's heart.

"No, I'm not going because of you, Danny, I have some work that I need to get done. I just wanted to call and see how you were feeling," Vaughn  
explained.

"You sure?"

"I'm positive," Michael grinned as he played Danny's favorite over-the-phone game.

"Only sillies are positive," Danny replied.

"Are you sure?" Vaughn countered.

"I'm positive! That makes us both sillies!" Danny shrieked. Sydney returned to the living room with a glass of juice and waited for him to  
finish talking.

"I love you, Daddy," Danny added.

"I love you, too, Dans. Be careful, and take care of your mommy."

"Cross my heart," he traded Sydney the juice for the phone and stretched on the couch, a smile still etched on his face. She turned the movie back  
on as Denver's legs stuck off the edge of the cushions, his barrel of a stomach sticking up as Danny wrapped his arm around the dog's middle and  
settled in to finish his movie.

"I think you just made him the happiest little boy on earth," Sydney commented once she got back into the kitchen, heating up some of Mrs.  
Gatsby's soup for a late dinner. "So what are you and Eric up to? How's he doin'?"

"He's a sissy - it wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. But yes, since you're asking, he's doing just fine. We've got a mission to head out on in  
about an hour, so I can't talk for too long," he explained.

"If you need to go-"

"No, I want to talk to you for a little longer – I miss you," he proclaimed.

"I miss you too baby, so much." She managed kept her emotions in check, but lately that consisted of her not bursting into tears.

"Hey, it's me you're talking to, what's up?" He was concerned.

"I just – it's just so hard without you here. I didn't think that it was going to be this bad, and…well…it just is." She pulled herself up onto the  
counter, her legs dangling above the floor, adjusting her tank top around her waist as it bunched up over her hips.

"I'm doing everything I can, sweetie – everything I can to get back to you as soon as possible. If it were up to me, which we know it's not, I would  
just drop it all and come running home," he tried to soothe her.

"I know," she whispered.

"But, at the same time, I want to see these people suffer. They deserve it after what they've done to countless children." He left the 'especially  
Danny' part out, knowing she'd make the connection on her own.

Eric mumbled something in Vaughn's ear that he couldn't quite make out, "What? Hold on, Syd," and there was a short pause before he came back  
with a chuckle. "Weiss says to expect a call from your sister tonight. We talked to Nadia about our mission and she told Eric she was going to call  
you."

"Aw, I can't wait. I miss everyone so much!" Sydney exclaimed.

"Baby, I should go," he sighed as he glared at the suave suit lying on the bed in front of him.

She frowned with a grin, hearing the familiar sound of clothing being removed as he tried to keep the phone against his ear.  
"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" she asked in a light banter, waiting patiently for his response.

"Maybe. If you're thinking of me undressing awkwardly with one hand while trying to keep my cell planted firmly against my ear – then yes. That's  
what I'm doing." it was always so easy to smile when he talked to her. She took away all his anger and pain and replaced it with the love and  
tenderness he craved.

"Undressing was the word I was looking for, but you just kept rambling. Have I mentioned how much I miss you?" She was grinning now.

"What do you miss the most?" he asked in a low voice, a hint of sexiness that he reserved only for her.

She gulped past the rising lust in her throat and had to fight the urge to moan quietly. "Well, the way your hands seemed to be everywhere at once,  
and even though you probably have my whole body completely memorized, you seem to find new spots each time you touch me."

"What's your favorite spot," it was less of a question and more of a demand that she tell him as he yanked off his white undershirt and stood  
with the phone cradled in his palm in only his boxers. He briefly flicked his eyes over to Eric, seeing the mock disgusted look on his friend's face  
as the large agent turned and walked into the adjoining room with his hands up in defeat.

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes," he deadpanned, knowing she'd have to answer.

"The side of my neck is pretty sensitive." She spoke while running her hand down the length of her throat, from the small spot behind her ear to  
her collarbone before leaving to run down her side. "Then there's my sides, which you take particular delight in prolonging your search by  
examining each and every single rib."

"At least you're not ticklish," he laughed.

"Yeah, that would really put a damper on our sex life." she giggled back.

"Nah. I'd touch you anyway." He grinned, hearing Eric clear his voice from  
the other room. "I think we're scaring Weiss."

"He needs it. What's your favorite spot?" she asked.

"Your belly button," he replied imediately.

"Liar; and I wasn't talking about on me."

"Well, I was," he pushed his desire down as he slid haphazardly into the dress pants, clasping the belt clumsily before realizing he had a rather  
large uncomfortable bulge that was hindering his usually easy-to-do zipper. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

"Well, let me put it this way. The very second you get home you're not going to know what hit you. I'm gonna make you squirm until you beg, and  
your mind will be blown."

"Only my mind?" his voice was crackly and low, and most importantly, strained. His mouth was instantly dry and watering at the same time as he  
closed his eyes and pictured Sydney lying and waiting for him in all her curvaceous glory - possibly even heavy with child, and that was even more  
arousing to him, as a reaction to this new thought his cock twitched.

"You'll have to wait and see, but I guaran-damn-tee that we'll be finding a baby-sitter that evening." She could hear his increased breathing over  
the phone and smiled, knowing their conversation was having the same effect on her, she was just better at hiding it.

"Well, then I can't wait to feel your legs around me as I take you over and over again, baby. I love you," he told her.

"Love you too," she answered.

They hung up simultaneously as Vaughn ran a hand over his face, opening his eyes after squeezing them to try and rid the images of a wanton Sydney  
from his mind. Eric was standing in front of him wearing black pants and a dark green shirt with a matching outback jacket, his arms akimbo.

"You're both disgusting," Eric stated.

"You like it," Vaughn shot back.

"You gonna wear that to the party?" Eric asked, noticing the lump pressing against the Vaughn's tight trousers.

"Damn woman," Vaughn growled and walked stiffly toward the bathroom.

"Good idea. Better take the matter…'in hand'." Weiss laughed as Vaughn flipped him off and closed the door behind him to finish getting ready for  
the evening.

Vaughn, or rather, Henry Rousseau, walked into the large estate as dozens of people stood talking in various different languages. Italian dominated,  
but some strains of French could be heard.

"I've got an eye on Vermicelli," he mumbled into his comm.

"Copy that, Shotgun, mingle around for a few minutes then make your way tothe display room. It's on the second floor, so you may have to get past  
some security. I'm ready, one…no…two…wait…three guards on the second floor." Marshall stuttered as he settled the infrared satellite over the  
mansion.

"'Kay," Vaughn grumbled as he made his way over to the bar to grab a drink.

After brushing off several offers from various beautiful women, and ignoring Jack Bristow's orders to ignore the beautiful women, he made his  
was across the large ballroom and into the adjacent hallway. A man in a suit with a gun clipped to his waist stood idly by, letting Vaughn walk  
through the arched doorway.

"May I help you, Monsieur?"

"I am looking for the bathrooms; could you point me in the right direction, please?"

"Of course. Make your way down this hall and turn left at the end, the bathroom is three doors on your right."

"Merci," Vaughn walked brusquely to the end of the hallway and turned left. As if fate was on his side, the elevators were located across from  
the restrooms. "Do I take the elevators?"

"No, no, no, no, no – that would be a bad idea. I mean, like…really bad. State of the art security cameras equipped with facial recognition  
scanners. You're gonna want to take the stairs. The exit should be two more doors to the left."

"So the elevators have cameras but the stairs don't?"

"Remember that pen you have tucked away? Time to bring that bad boy out. And the answer to your question…yes – the stairwells do have cameras, they're just not as cool as the ones on the elevator. The scrambler you've got will do just enough to knock out the feed for forty seconds. Plenty of time to get up to the display area, where you'll…hopefully, be able to find the map."

"Yeah, hopefully," Vaughn twisted the pen, and with a small beep a red light turned on and blinked at the writing end of the ballpoint. Moving up the two sets of stairs quickly he entered the hallway and waited for Marshall's instructions.

"What do you see, Shotgun?"

"A hallway," he growled, looking back and forth for any clue to give away the display room. "Where is it? I thought you said it was the entire second floor?"

"It is,"

"You sure about that?"

"Wait…go to your left and take that first door. If it's locked, which…you know…it probably will be, use the decoder that I gave you. These panels look like they're code operated,"

"Why did you pause there?" Vaughn counted doors and stopped before the correct one. Looking at the keypad on the wall, he reached into his pocket and pulled the mock cigarette case that was doubling as the decoder.

"I just…well…if it doesn't work their security system is gonna go off…and that's probably a bad thing. Well…it's bad if you can't run fast,"

"Thanks, Marshall," he grumbled and hooked up the decoder, hearing a series of beeps and clicks until it was complete and the door unlocked. "It worked; I'm in."

* * *

Sydney curled her legs underneath her as she tried to focus on her book and ignore the small grumble in her stomach.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, I just had dinner. And two bowls of ice cream," she dropped the novel and stared down at the small bump on her stomach. "You shouldn't be hungry down there. You hear me?" she grinned and traced the little lump that couldn't be sticking out more than a few centimeters. She felt the grumble again, her smile fading as she sat up and placed both hands across her abdomen.

"No way," she grinned, feeling the flutter against her fingertips. She knew instantly that it definitely wasn't her stomach growling, but the first movements of their baby. How much she wished Vaughn was home at that particular moment; his hand caressing the almost non-existent roundness lovingly and speaking soothing words to the infant inside all while placing kisses on her stomach.

Tears welled her eyes as she quickly wiped them away, reminding herself that this _was_ a happy moment even if Vaughn wasn't there to enjoy it with her. Her focus went from the kicking bump to a small cough coming from Danny's room. She stood and walked across the hallway, opening the door the rest of the way and peering in through the dim beam of the nightlight. She spotted the little boy writhing on the bed and coughing, unable to get a full breath into his lungs.

"Danny? Danny, baby, wake up," she pleaded and sat next to him on the bed, rubbing her hand over his tight chest as his eyes sprang open as he looked up at her, his face pale and body covered in sweat.

"Mommy…I can't…breathe….I can't…" he gasped as Sydney wrapped him up into her arms and bolted down the stairs to grab the phone, dialing 9-1-1 immediately.

The ambulance was there in record time, waking the neighbors, as Rick, carrying a sleepy Josh, and Mrs. Gatsby rushed to get as close as they could to find out what was happening.

"What did he eat last?" a large, yet surprisingly gentle, paramedic asked as he lifted Danny out of her arms, noticing immediately that his eyes were dilated completely and he was breathing in short pants. "We need oxygen!"

"Ummm…a bowl of soup," Sydney stuttered as she watched them hook the little boy up with a mask full of oxygen and an IV for hydration.

"Does he have any food allergies?"

"No,"

"Has he been sick recently?" he left the others to load him up onto the gurney and prep him for the ambulance, staying behind with the frantic young mother.

"He…ummm…he had his first cancer treatment with new medicine today. It made him pretty sick but this just started about ten minutes ago." tears streamed down her cheeks as the EMT nodded and lead her out of the house, tripping over Denver as he stood at the edge of the stretcher whimpering to get a response from the unconscious little boy. "Denver, in the house. Come on boy, inside," she ordered as Rick caught her arm and she looked over at him.

"We'll meet you at the hospital," he stated simply, and she only nodded with a small smile and climbed into the back of the truck as the doors closed and it flew off down the road.

* * *

A/N: I know, I'm really mean, but I got that little idea last night and decided to add it in to this chapter, effectively altering the entire end of the story. Which, I will need to map out again.

Yet again, I beta'd the last few pages, so all the mistakes in there are mine, but I'd once again like to thank my lovely beta for fixing this chappie up for me! You rock!

-Jean


	29. Chapter 29: Bright Lights and Trains

Chapter 28: Bright Lights and Trains

* * *

Sydney sat quietly in the waiting room, Rick calmly seated next to her with Josh sleepily playing with a small metal car on the chair between the two adults. Every few minutes she felt Rick look over at her but she continued to stare at the obscenely white wall across the aisle, occasional tears trekking their way down her blotchy red cheeks.

For the hundredth time she looked down at the phone clutched in her hand before letting another silent tear escape over the fact that Vaughn hadn't called.

_'Maybe he's just busy,'_ her mind argued as the years of service with SD-6, the CIA, and APO tried to compartmentalize and rationalize the stressful situation she was now in.

_'Yeah, maybe,'_ she responded, glancing once again to see the wallpaper of the three of them staring back at her on the screen of her cell phone.

She'd laughed when Vaughn suggested they each get camera phones, but soon saw the brilliance behind his idea when they were able to send each other little photos across the offices at APO, the playground as he pushed Danny on the swing and she sat on the bench, or even last week when he'd sent her a picture of Weiss and Nadia curled up together on the couch.

What she wouldn't give right now to see Michael's goofy, lopsided grin and loping walk coming her way with his sparkling green eyes looking into her puffy brown ones. She'd left him a frantic message and called seven times with each one ended with his voice mail.

She barely felt Rick's hand as he set it on her shoulder. She turned and looked over at him, seeing him focused on a magazine in his lap and Josh's big blue eyes looking up at her.

"You sad?" the boy asked seriously.

"Yeah," she sniffled with a small smile before settling her gaze back into her lap.

"Why come?" he asked, still serious.

"Because Danny's really sick and I'm worried about him," she answered and ran a protective hand through Josh's hair.

"When I'm sad I sit on my daddy's lap. Wanna sit on my lap? Maybe you'll feel better," he added, patting his tiny legs to imitate the move his father had done so many times to offer the little boy comfort.

She let out a strangled chuckle as Rick looked over at Josh with a smile, watching as Sydney declined the child's invitation but set a small kiss to his forehead, her smile fading slowly as the phone in her hand buzzed.

She looked down quickly, tears forming and spilling as she hit the button and set the phone against her ear, the single sobbed word barely audible as she stood and moved away from the room and into an empty hallway.

"Daddy," she mumbled, setting a hand over her mouth as Jack's smile faded.

He'd finally found enough courage to call his daughter after being absent from her life for over a month. If there were two things that Jack Bristow oozed, it would be confidence and command. But when it came to Sydney, despite her no longer being the small, broken six-year old he remembered, it was always hard to formulate the right words in order to have an adequate conversation with his little girl.

"Sydney, what's wrong?" he asked quickly, her sobbing not exactly the conversation he'd planned on having. "What happened?"

"Danny, he…he's in the hospital," she started, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to calm a bit before finishing her explanation. "He started having trouble breathing and had a high fever, and now they're in running tests to see what went wrong. Th-they think it could be a re-reaction to his new medication, but they're not s-sure," she stuttered with staggered breathing in an attempt to calm her quaking nerves.

Jack sighed, holding the phone away from his ear and looking down at his stark yet organized desk, his eyes lingering on the bourbon he'd poured a few minutes ago. "Sydney, calm down sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine. I'm going to call Danny's doctor out here and get all of his medical do's and don'ts, then contact APO."

"Why? We don't need to tell Sloane," she growled, keeping her voice low as a nurse walked a young man down the hallway with a portable IV drip, their eyes focusing on the distressed young woman.

"No, we don't need to inform APO, but I though you'd want Weiss and Nadia to know," he suggested, rifling through his files until he came across a copy of the little boy's medical contacts.

"I…ummm…already talked to Nadia, and Vaughn and Weiss are on a mission in Europe. Is there any way you can get a hold of Michael, dad? Please?"

"Give me a couple hours to get everything ready. I'll get everything sorted out, sweetheart, I promise. You call me the minute you hear anything, and I'll find Vaughn."

"Okay, daddy,"

"Sydney?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, you know that right? I didn't say that enough when you were younger, but I'm saying it now. I'm going to do everything I can," he vowed to her and to himself.

"I know dad. Love you too," she murmured and snapped the phone closed before making her way back into the waiting room to see Rick standing with a fidgeting doctor.

* * *

Vaughn climbed wearily out of the plane, the bright lights of London glaring as he and Weiss were met by two suit-clad agents and escorted through the airport to a waiting black Suburban. Fifteen minutes into the drive Eric drifted off with his forehead banging against the window with each bump of the road, and Vaughn reached into his pocket to extract his cell phone. Turning it on, he watched the photo of Sydney and Danny sleeping pop up on the screen, remembering the moment he'd snapped the sacred picture.

_Danny poked Vaughn's nose, effectively waking his sleeping father. "Dans? You okay?"_

"Had angry dreams, can I sleep with you and mommy?" he shuffled back and forth from foot to foot, eagerly awaiting permission to jump into the bed.

"_Of course, pal, come on up," he smiled, reaching out and helping the little boy onto the large bed, feeling him crawl across his chest and settle into the small space between his body and Sydney's. _

_Her eyes opened immediately, settling on the snuggling little boy as she looked up at Vaughn with a small smile. "Bad dream?"_

"_Uh-huh," the nearly sleeping child grunted as he tucked his nose into Sydney's throat, his small hand reaching behind him to find his daddy's in an effort to pull his muscled arm around his tiny body._

_Settling his large hand on Syd's waist, he smiled at the cocoon Danny had created, his forehead resting against his wife's as they all slipped back to slumber. The next morning he woke up cold and alone, the blankets pulled over the beds two other occupants as they cuddled a foot away from his boxer-clad body._

_Danny had his head on Sydney's pillow, her cheek resting against his forehead as she held his small hand over her heart while cradling him to her side with her free arm. The moment was too cute to pass by without turning it into an official Kodak__â__ moment. Unfortunately, the digital camera was still in the duffle bag from their trip to the Zoo yesterday, so he settled for his camera phone instead._

_Snapping a picture from their chests up, he quickly made it his wallpaper as he trucked off to the kitchen to start breakfast._

He still had the same picture on today, and though she'd been sending him several e-mails filled to the brim with memorable pictures snapped by the digital camera, this one was still his favorite.

**Three New Voice-Mail**

'Damn cell phones. They never work on planes, underground, behind a building or in a moving car. Freakin' pointless.' Vaughn growled to himself as he dialed the number and punched in the pass code.

"**Message Received: 11:56 PM**."

"Hey Vaughn, its Nadia. There's been some kind of emergency and you need to call Sydney. You have her cell phone, but do it as soon as you can." **BEEP**

"Emergency?" He frowned, quickly deleting the message to impatiently wait for the next. His heart instantly broke at the sound of Sydney's sobbed recording.

"**Message Received: 12:32 AM**."

"Vaughn, it's me," he could hear her small sniffle and knew instantly she'd been trying to hold herself together as she left him the message. "Danny's in the hospital, and – and they don't know what's wrong. They – they think it's, ummm, maybe a reaction t-to his new medication, b-but they're not sure. I need you to call me, Michael, please? I…I don't know what to do," he heard her break and begin to cry, the recording over as he ended the call, reading the message that flashed across his screen.

**Nine Missed Calls**

He felt horrible – as if he'd betrayed her and Danny in some way. Instantly he shoved Weiss, waking his friend quickly as he grunted in pain and held his chest.

"Vaughn, what the hell man?"

"Danny's in the hospital," he explained in a strained and clipped tone, dialing Jack Bristow's cell phone as Eric sat up quickly to pay closer attention.

"Jack? It's Vaughn. I just got Sydney's message, what the hell's going on?" his legs were bouncing and his hands were sweaty as he heard the elder Bristow clear his throat and sigh.

"You need to call Sydney. I just got off the phone with her, and she just talked to the doctor. I need you to get to the airport and go to check-in. A ticket is waiting for you; one-way to Denver."

"One way? But, Jack, what about the Anderson's?" Vaughn argued weakly, his heart jumping at the thought of going home three months early.

"Agent Vaughn, do you remember what promised me the night you married my daughter?"

"Jack, what does that have to do with-"

"You said that you'd always take care of her. In order for you to do that, you're going to need to be in Denver. Michael – Sydney should be the most important thing in your life."

"She is, you have to know that by now," Vaughn argued, the wrinkles on his forehead growing as Eric sighed, sick of waiting for the news to be revealed from the half of the conversation he was listening in on.

"Well, I'm pulling rank. You're going to Denver, and I'll take care of everything with APO. She needs you, and we were selfish to ask you to put your work before your family. I did it with Sydney, and you shouldn't do it with Danny." Jack finished as Vaughn's phone beeped. He looked at the call waiting and saw **Syd **in bright letters.

"Jack, Sydney's on the other line. I'll…I'll call you from Denver,"

The mention of the city made Eric's ears perk up as he fixed Vaughn with a questioning stare, seeing him end quickly with Mr. Bristow and answer Sydney's call.

"Syd? I just got your message and talked to your dad – baby what's goin' on?" his voice was almost frantic as he heard her small sob over the phone.

"Vaughn, they…Danny has a tumor-" she paused with a sniffle before continuing. "They say he needs surgery,"

* * *

This has to be the longest day ever. I've been sitting here staring at the blackness of the sky around the plane for almost fifteen and a half hours trying to think through the position I've found myself in, and I just can't. There's absolutely no way to explain the terror I'm feeling – almost an intense swallowing of my heart into the pit of my stomach.

To be honest, I'm also kind of excited. I get to see Sydney – my wife – for the first time in three months. And, despite the situation, I get to see my son.

A tumor. Definitely not something I would have ever thought we'd have problems with. Sydney said that in hindsight she saw some signs. He'd get out of breath quicker than usual at the park or around the house. I still can't believe it though; it's something that's too surreal.

The last year of my life has been completely insane, not to mention the last six months. Getting married, working on getting out of the spy business, adopting a four year old little boy and finding out Syd and I are expecting – it's definitely something that makes my head spin when ever I think about it.

He'll probably be in surgery by the time I get there, if he isn't already now. They say that a tumor's grown on the edge of his left lung, and if they don't remove it, it could block his superior vena cava. Yeah, I didn't know what it was either, so I looked it up. It's the vein that pumps oxygen-depleted blood into the right atrium of the heart. Which explains why it's such an emergency.

I can't help but hear Sydney's warning in my head; her sobbed revelation the Danny may not survive this. From what she explained to me, they're going to go into his chest by cutting through his sternum to open the rib-cage. After doing that, Sydney says they're just going to remove the tumor and put him back together, but the images that run through my mind are horridly gruesome. My little Danny on a table, split open, just makes me shake.

"Excuse me, are you all right?" the young woman in the seat beside Vaughn asks, forcing him from his thoughts as he turned to face her with wide eyes.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well…I wasn't sure if you'd noticed you were crying, but I did. Kleenex?" she held out the tissue and he instantly blushed, looking down into his lap for some excuse after accepting and wiping his face.

"I'm Jenny," she offered her hand and he shook it quickly, making sure to use his left hand, the wedding ring glinting weakly off of the minimal light source above the pair.

"Michael," he tossed her an unconvincing smile and tried to go back to his staring, but she continued the conversation.

Clearing her throat after a few moments of silence, "I don't mean to pry, but why were you crying?"

"Honestly I hadn't realized I was," Cryptic indeed, but he figured she'd get the point and let him be.

"Why are you flying to Denver?" she continued, oblivious to his obvious distaste for conversation at the moment and the fact that she set her hand on his showed him that, despite his wedding band, she was interested.

"My son is in the hospital with a potentially deadly tumor on his lung, and I'm flying in to be with my wife while we wait." He was incredibly blunt, seeing several people grimace sympathetically and go back to their books, CD-players, or magazines.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," she cooed, her hand moving from his own to his shoulder, squeezing gently to offer him comfort. A slight pout graced her mouth as he shied away from her touch, once again focusing on the enveloping blackness of the sky. "You must be worried sick,"

"I am," he whispered, looking down at his ring and stroking it once before he felt her hand once again on his body – this time on his knee.

"If there is anything I can do to help, I'd be more than happy to-"

"I don't believe you've been taking these hints the right way, but the sheer fact that I've told you about my son and my wife should make it clear to you that I'm not exactly on the market. I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your hands, eyes, and comments to yourself," he growled, hearing a praised chuckle from the seat behind him.

Her huff was the last he heard from the young woman beside him as she left to find a new seat two rows up.

"You know, I hate to pry as well, but I know what you're going through," the supportive man from behind him stood and quickly filled the newly vacated seat. "My daughter died of childhood cancer a few months ago," he stated quietly, Michael holding his hand out with a small smile.

"Michael, Michael Vaughn," he introduced as the other man smiled and shook his hand.

"Tom Zimmer,"

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but how old was your daughter?" Vaughn asked as he turned his full attention on Tom as he stared at the seat back in front of him for a moment.

"She was three," he sighed, a small smile forming on his face as his mind obviously retreated back to a happier memory. "Her hair had finally grown long enough for pig-tails, and my wife was ecstatic. Of course, after chemo started, her hair was quickly gone, but that never stopped them from dressing up." He reached into his wallet and pulled out a picture of a smiling little girl with pig-tails being pushed on a swing at the park. The photo behind it was less bright, the tiny baby in a hospital bed looking weak and exhausted, but still sporting a smile for her daddy as he took the picture. "That was a week before she passed away,"

"I'm sorry, you don't have to continue if you don't want to," Michael saw the tears in Tom's eyes as he carefully slid the photos back into their respective slot and looked over at the man next to him.

"How old is your son?"

"He's four and a half, he'll be five on November 27th," he grinned, pulling out his own photo, a printed and laminated copy of Danny holding up his prized fish the day he went with Weiss and Vaughn to the lake. "My wife and I are actually expecting another in the fall," he beamed, flipping his phone open and showing Tom the wallpapered picture of both Sydney and Danny sleeping.

"Congratulations, you seem pretty proud. Why aren't you in Denver?" Tom asked, settling back into the seat as he looked behind him to check on his own sleeping wife.

"It's pretty complicated, but I'm a federal officer, nothing like the CIA or the FBI, just something simple that deals mostly with money, loans - those kind of things, and I've been away on assignment for the last three months or so. Danny really isn't our son; we adopted him after visiting his foster family. He was in the hands of some very bad people who injected him with cancerous cells saying that it was a cure of some sort – they weren't entirely in their right mind.

"After my wife and I were sent to shut them down and revoke their license, we had to care for him for a few nights and he grew on us. We adopted him a month or so later, before we got married, and here we are." 'Sort of,' he finished in his mind.

"So, these people are now in prison?" Tom asked, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping at Vaughn's story.

Michael sighed, "No, that's what I've been trying to do for the last few months. Just to be safe they moved to Denver, and after the responsible parties are apprehended I'll be relieved of service and sent home. But, with this little find in Danny's chest, it looks like I'll be gettin' home a bit early."

"Well isn't that a good thing? Let someone else find them, I say."

"I guess, but I took it on as my own claim, you know? I want these people to pay for their crimes just that much more because he's now my son," he explained, seeing the fasten seat-belt light turn on and looking up at the speaker when the captain spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're now beginning our descent into Denver International Airport. Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions, and for your safety, remain seated at all times. Our scheduled arrival to the gate is 3:30AM."

He said a brief farewell to Tom as the man rejoined his wife. The plane landed and reaching the gate at around 3:34AM. He grabbed his single bag and made a hasty exit, hoping he'd be lucky enough to get a rental car or a cab if anything was open, or more importantly, if anyone was around.

A weary young man stood pacing back and forth at the exit, looking up and making eye contact with Vaughn for a moment. His face brightened up and he quickly looked down at something Michael assumed to be a photograph tucked in his hand before he approached.

"Are you Michael Vaughn?" he asked with a scratchy voice, waiting patiently for a reply as he watched other potential Michael Vaughn's disembark and greet their tired relatives.

"Yeah, may I help you?"

"Sydney's father sent me to pick you up, she doesn't know yet. I'm Rick, your next door neighbor." He smiled, sticking his hand out in greeting.

"It's nice to finally meet you Rick; sorry it wasn't under better circumstances. How's Sydney? Or Danny – has he had surgery yet?" Michael slipped into agent mode, using his body language and voice level to convey that he wasn't intending to be rude, merely straight forward.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, Sydney's completely worn out. I don't think she's slept at all in the last eighteen hours. Danny was just being prepped when I left, and that was almost two hours ago, so I'm assuming he's in surgery by now. They say it'll probably take between 3-5 hours, so by the time we get to the hospital Sydney should be able to fill you in a little better than I can." he explained, satisfying Vaughn's curiosity for the moment.

Rick lead the way through the winding and confusing terminals, onto the train, then back up and out to the parking lot. There weren't too many cars parked, and the Suburban's lights flickered when Rick pushed the button attached to his keys.

The drive was silent - all Vaughn could think about doing was holding his wife, wrapping her up in his arms, and never letting go. Rick seemed to pick up on this and left the conversation back at the airport, giving the confused man next to him time to adjust to the news Rick had just given.

About forty-five minutes had passed before they pulled up to the hospital, Rick dropping Vaughn off at the front door.

"She's in the west waiting room. If you go up to the third floor there'll be a sign that tells you where to go. Tell Sydney not to worry about Denver, I'll take him over to my place until she and Danny get home. Welcome to Denver," he called through the open window before driving away slowly, leaving Vaughn standing in front of the automatic sliding doors.

With heavy steps he carried his small bag into the lobby and found the elevator. Going up to three, he stepped off and immediately saw a sign for the waiting area with a large arrow pointing left. He walked until he saw it: a stark white room with a tired and bored nurse sitting at her station. She barely noticed his entrance as he scanned the blue, uncomfortable-looking chairs for Sydney.

There was a man sleeping, a young woman sitting with her mother reading a magazine, but no Sydney. Walking over to the nurse he cleared his throat. "Ummm, can you help me?"

"Emergencies are down on the first floor, this is surgery," she explained without looking up from her finger-nails that were apparently in desperate need of filing.

"No, my son, Daniel Rien-Vaughn is, I believe, in surgery right now, and I just wanted some information on either him or my wife," his voice was almost begging and right as the woman sighed while reaching for a clip-board with patient information, he heard her.

"Vaughn," Sydney's voice was small, and he didn't even think the inattentive nurse had heard her speak -

But he had. And it was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard in his life. He instantly pushed off the small half-wall and dropped his bag before she met him halfway, burying herself into his chest with a sob.

"Shh, baby, I'm here now – it's okay," he cooed, one hand rubbing her back as the other dove into her hair to cup the back of her head and hold it against the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"I…I didn't know you were coming, w-why didn't you tell me?" she asked, pulling away slightly as she touched his stubbly face, her fingers tracing his contours to recommit them to memory. His eyes took in her somewhat lighter colored hair, probably due to being out in the sun, and the freckles he'd never noticed that dotted her nose and cheeks.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured and leaned in, pulling her into a dazzling kiss she was more than willing join in on. His mouth was exactly as she'd remembered, rough and gentle at the same time. The light fuzz of his unshaven face was another jog to her memory as he kept the kisses light yet full of love, the woman seated across from them clearing her throat and bringing the couple out of their trance. Vaughn glared at her over Sydney's shoulder, seeing her blush and shrivel back into her magazine. He grabbed his bag before pulling his wife into an adjacent waiting room that, for the moment, was completely empty.

"Michael, I've missed you so much," tears filled her eyes despite the dimpled smile that crossed her face, and she wrapped her arms back around his neck to pull him closer. Time passed as they just stood together, content to finally be held by one another after so much time apart. Sydney was the first to pull away, seeing the frown on Vaughn's face as she led him into an empty chair.

"Vaughn, we need to talk about Danny,"

* * *


	30. Chapter 30: The Long Road Home

Chapter 30: The Long Road Home

(Mature Content)

* * *

Eric stormed into the small apartment, startling Nadia awake from her unscheduled nap on the living room couch.

"Eric? You're back early! I thought you and Vaughn would be home tomorrow," she said as she rubbed her eyes before sitting up completely to stretch her arms over her head. "What's wrong?" she asked as he practically threw his suitcase to the floor and leaned back against the door, taking several deep breaths to calm himself.

"They're gone," he stated flatly.

"Who?" She asked as she walked over to him, even though she knew exactly who he was talking about.

He sighed and slid to the floor with a thump, ignoring the pain in his chest as he struggled to keep his composure. "He didn't even say goodbye, he just – called a cab and waited until I was asleep to leave me a note. I just got out of a briefing with Sloane and Jack, and they've permanently taken Vaughn off of the Anderson assignment and sent him to Denver."

"Sweetie, that's a good thing, isn't it?" She knelt next to him, sliding between his parted legs to pull him against her chest in a tender embrace. He obediently placed his head on her shoulder as a few tears escaped into the fabric of her shirt.

"I guess," he mumbled, feeling her chuckle beneath him. "Have you heard anything about Danny? How's he doin'?"

"Sydney called me when he got out of surgery; said there were a few complications but couldn't really go into any detail. She promised she'd call in the morning with a full report. Come on," she grinned, pulling back and shushing him with a finger against his lips as he protested. "I promised to take care of you after you got home, didn't I?"

"Well…yeah," he gave her a small smile and let himself be hauled up by his adamant girlfriend.

"And you definitely need sleep," she said as she took his hand, locked the front door and pulled him down the hall.

Instead of going directly into the bedroom, she instead steered them both into the bathroom. She pressed him against the counter as she drizzled honeysuckle bath oil in the tub. She reconsidered and then added some bubble bath as well.

"You look tired," she commented as the tub filled, letting him pull her against his body and bury his nose into the crook of her neck. Her hands automatically went around his shoulders, one kneading at the tense muscles and the other threading through the hairs at the back of his neck.

His own hands wrapped around her waist, skimming up the hem of her shirt to rest against the small of her back. His fingers traced patterns along her skin as he placed a gentle kiss against the pulse point as it beat against his lips. Tracing a line of small pecks against her neck he made his way up to her lips, nipping and kissing lightly until she joined the fray, her tongue tracing his lips.

Their kisses weren't borne of passion or lust, but merely taken and given as comfort. He pulled her shirt over her head, happily surprised to see that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. She made short work of his button-down shirt as well as the white cotton one beneath, tossing the items into the growing pile behind them. Soon they were completely unclothed and turning away from him, her eyes couldn't help but wander down to his lower half, already responding quite nicely to her gentle kisses and tanned flesh. Turning off the water, she slid into the hot water with a welcome hiss.

Settling back against the tub she gestured for him to join her in the large tub, a small smile gracing her lips as he stepped carefully into the water and sank down with his back against her chest. He slid lower, his head resting on her shoulder, her hands moving over his sore, bruised chest, and he linked his fingers with hers before closing his eyes to savor the comfort of being home after a grueling mission.

* * *

"So Rick gets this great idea that we should try and pick it up by its branches and just heft it into the hole, but that fell through when we tore up our hands and ripped about a million leaves off," Sydney giggled, feeling Vaughn's chuckle from behind her as she leaned against his chest, his hands protectively rubbing the small bump that was their growing child.

"You know, with the baby on the way, you shouldn't be lifting heavy stuff like trees. So did you finally get it in the ground?" His voice was soft and each word was punctuated with a brush of lips against the back of her neck.

"Nah, it's still just sittin' in his front yard. But now that you're home we can probably pull it off with three people," she suggested, linking her fingers with his as they sat on the uncomfortable waiting room floor with Vaughn's back against the wall and Sydney leaning against his chest.

"I've missed holding you, baby," he sighed, pressing a kiss to her hair as he inhaled the unique fragrance of her shampoo.

"I've missed behind held by you," she admitted, the couple lapsing into a contented silence as a doctor poked his head into the empty room and spotted them.

"Are you Daniel Vaughn's parents?" he asked casually, holding a clipboard and a file in his hands.

"Yes, we are," Sydney jumped up. "How's he doing? Can we see him?"

"We're moving him into recovery, but I have to tell you that there were some complications. I'm Dr. Greene, Daniel's surgeon, and though we did have a few problems, the removal of the growth was a complete success," the doctor explained.

"Was it a cancerous tumor?" Vaughn slid that question in, both parents admitting silently that it had been at the forefront of their thoughts.

The doctor sighed, searching through his folder with a sympathetic shake of his head. "We probably won't know for a little while yet. I've sent it down to the lab to be tested, so for now we'll just have to wait. There's good news and bad news," Dr. Greene paused, gesturing for the worried pair to have a seat around him. He pulled out an x-ray of Danny's chest and held it up to the light for them both to see.

"As you can see, here's the tumor. Our biggest concern was the fact that it was lying against his superior vena cava – the vein responsible for pulling oxygen-deprived blood into the heart. The procedure went smoothly enough until his heart rate increased slightly, and we have reason to believe that during prep the tumor blocked part of that vein."

"Wouldn't you be able to tell before he went into surgery? I mean, logically, if one part of the heart doesn't work then it doesn't pump any blood, right?" Sydney asked, taking her eyes away from the x-ray and looking at the doctor seated between herself and Vaughn.

"Well, it happened on the table and we were monitoring his vitals, so if anything it was probably the best place for something like that to happen. We controlled his vitals and made sure they were stable before continuing. If it had gotten any worse we would have had to stall surgery for his safety," the doctor continued.

"We ran into the main problem with his left lung. The tumor had grown at such an awkward angle that we had to remove a centimeter or so of the organ, but nothing that he can't live without." He paused and flipped through his notes once more before continuing. "Our only concern now is infection. There's really no telling how his body is going to react to this transition, and with the medical care being provided for him we run a good chance of his chest staying infection free."

"The first twenty-four hours are critical, so we've got him hooked up to pain medication and he's heavily sedated. We've put a tube into his lungs to aide breathing and make it easier for him to sleep as well as give the incision on the edge of the organ time to heal properly. He's on ninety-four percent oxygen dependency, which we'll of course adjust in a few days after he wakes up. Do you have any questions for me?" the doctor finished.

Sydney took a deep breath, seeing Vaughn do the same, "About a million, but that can wait. Where is he?"

"We've moved him to his own room in the ICU and should be either en-route or already set up. If you follow me I'll take you over."

Dr. Greene stood as Vaughn shook his hand, thanking him for taking such good care of his son, a compliment that the doctor shook off by saying, "It's my job, and I absolutely love doing it to the best of my ability." They walked the winding hallways until they stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway, the nurses station directly across from his room. Saying goodbye for now, Dr. Greene made his way behind the desk and on to the next patient as Sydney and Vaughn stood in front of the closed entryway.

"I'm scared," she mumbled, Vaughn's hand searching hers out with a reassuring squeeze.

"Baby, everything's going to be fine, I promise. It's not gonna be easy to see him like this, but we have to believe that he'll make it out of it," Vaughn reassured her.

They opened the door quietly, their eyes immediately drawn to the child on the bed. Tears sprang into Sydney's eyes as she stood rooted to the spot. Vaughn moved from her side to Danny's, leaning over and kissing his son's forehead. The tube traveling into his lungs looked so out of place taped to the side of his mouth, and he couldn't help but want to remove it in order to see Danny's bright face.

Sydney stood and watched Michael interact with the unconscious child from the doorway, tears springing to her eyes as she saw Danny in such a helpless state. They weren't even letting him breathe on his own and the sight before her was nothing compared the bouncing child that he was a couple of days ago.

Michael's voice was soft as he called her over. "Syd, come on. He needs to hear your voice even more than mine." He held his hand out to her, patiently waiting for her to muster up enough courage to walk over to the bed.

She took his hand and squeezed lightly before moving to the opposite side of the bed. Pulling up a chair she made sure she was as close as she could get to Danny side as her fingers pulled his small hand into hers, the other reaching out to run through his hair.

"He looks so…broken," she murmured as more tears escaped to run freely down her cheeks, the saddened parents afraid to take their eyes away from the small child, lest he slip from their grasp.

Michael watched with sad eyes as Sydney climbed up next to Danny, resting her back against the wall and keeping her eyes on the many tubes and wires emanating from his small body before she settled next to him. Running a smooth hand through his hair she kissed his forehead, taking his small hand in hers and massaging her thumb over his soft skin.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Vaughn kissed his son's small fingers and then his forehead, standing and doing the same to Sydney. He didn't quite remember walking out or entering the small two-stalled bathroom.

Once the swinging door closed and latched, he broke. Tears fell from his tightly closed eyes, and he tried desperately to squeeze hard enough to keep them back. A knot had moved from the pit of his stomach into his throat as he held back his sobs, gripping the sink in front of him until his knuckles were white and his fingers ached.

Fear mixed with hurt and anger coursed through his blood as the pressure in the back of his throat intensified and he was no longer able to hold back the heaving sobs. He bowed his head until his chin was touching his chest, the tears dripping down into the sink with barely audible plops as he fought to compose his already out of control emotions.

Not seeing Sydney and Danny for almost three months had been near torture, but there was a direct contrast to the bubbling child he'd taken fishing so long ago and the small defeated little boy he'd just seen. He thought he'd be able to hold it together, if anything, just for Sydney's sake, but the sight of little Danny connected to all of those machines fighting for his life was too much to handle.  
So he'd left. He'd run out on his son and his wife to find refuge and solace in this small, cramped bathroom. Guilt raced through him as he turned the water on in the sink and watched it run, waiting for it to get cold enough to shock him out of his guilt-ridden stupor. Splashing his face repeatedly, he shook off and compartmentalized his runaway emotions before drying his face and hands, leaving the bathroom.

The door to Danny's room had been partially left open and he could hear Sydney's soft voice the closer he got to the room. Checking his watch, he saw that it was nearly 4:00 in the morning, and he walked over to the nurse's station with a tight smile on his face.

The head nurse was sitting at the desk reading through several open files but quickly averted her attention to Michael with a bright smile.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, her kind voice soothing as he leaned heavily against the counter.

"I was looking for some coffee for myself and my wife," he paused, looking back to the room before settling his gaze on the gentle woman before him. "If it's possible. I know she's been here for almost twenty-four hours . . ." he trailed off as the nurse answered him.

"You're Daniel Vaughn's parents?" at his nod, "very strong little boy," she commented. "I'll bring you two steaming cups of coffee. Cream or sugar?"

"Ummm, nothing in one and both in the other – oh, and can you make the one with cream and sugar decaf please? My wife's expecting," Vaughn asked as an afterthought, knowing from the few books he'd been reading that it wasn't good for pregnant woman to have caffeine.

"Not a problem, dearie, now you just go sit with that precious little boy and I'll be in shortly. I need to check his vitals anyway," she shooed him away with her hands as he turned back, staring at the door.

He was going to have to go in eventually, that much he knew. Slowly walking into the room, he saw Sydney half lying/half sitting on the bed with Danny's head resting against her shoulder, her fingers running through his hair. Her other hand reached around his small frame to his shoulder, her thumb drawing lazy circles as she hummed a soft tune with her cheek against his forehead.

"Hey - I got us some coffee, it'll be here in a few minutes," he stated from the doorway, almost afraid to move any closer to the humbling scene before him. Here was his perfect wife sitting where they both should be – at their kid's side through thick and thin. His heart reached out to Danny, but especially Sydney for going through everything these last three months without him.

The sheer fact that she managed to even survive the morning sickness and pregnancy so far, coupled with raising a four year old, made him respect her more than he already did.

"Vaughn, c'mere," she muttered, her hand moving from Danny's hair to the small bulge hidden by her shirt and light sweater.

Not trusting his voice he complied and made his way to her side. She noticed the tears welling in his eyes as well as the many wrinkles that hadn't left his forehead since she first saw him standing in the lobby, and pushed the chair out in an invitation for him to sit.

He sat beside her, pressing a kiss to her temple before plopping into the chair she'd made available, her own hand leaving her stomach to pull his over the protected lump. He felt a distinct flutter against his palm, Sydney's hand moving over his to link their fingers together, his eyes widening in shock and revelation.

"How long have you been able to feel him move?" he asked with awe and wonder in his voice, pulling their linked hands away to place a kiss against her abdomen.

"You mean she," she countered, seeing him look up at him with a light glare. "She wiggled around a bit yesterday, but then everything happened with Danny so quickly that I didn't get a chance to call and tell you the good news."

"Understandable," he murmured between kisses, lifting the hem of her sweater and shirt in order to actually see the swelling of her stomach, seeing for the first time the effects of the pregnancy in direct contrast to the last time he'd seen her body.

"You okay? You seemed pretty out of it when you walked in," she commented, leaning her head against the wall above the bed while running her fingers through his hair, mentally noting that it was slightly shorter than the last time she'd seen him.

He stayed quiet, not willing to break their bonding moment to think about his breakdown in the bathroom.

"Vaughn," she pried, but he remained silent. "Michael, you forget that I can read you almost as easily as you can read me,"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I saw your face baby; I know it's hard to seem him like this. But he's still our little guy," she paused to look from her husband to Danny, noticing that he looked a bit more comfortable just after hearing their voices and feeling their presence.

"I know, but you've seen him like this in the last three months. The last time I saw him he's was so healthy and – normal. He was like a little kid should be, you know? And now," he stopped, gesturing to his prone son as he pulled away from her to stand and walk over to the large window. "Now he's just so different. It was hard to take in all at once,"

Sydney stood and quietly moved to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist to try and calm him with gentle kisses to the back of his neck.

"Let's go home," she whispered, the breathy words against his skin making his hair stand on end, heightening his senses merely because he wasn't able to see her.

"What about Danny?"

"He's gonna be sleeping for a while," she paused with another kiss to the nape of his neck, "probably a couple of days. We'll come back in a little while. I haven't slept in almost thirty hours, and I'm about to die,"

After a short deliberation he conceded right as the friendly nurse walked in with a small tray holding two steaming cups of coffee and a couple pastries.

"Don't mean to barge in, and I know you only asked for the coffee, but I thought you two would want a pastry as well." she tossed them a genuine smile and set the tray down before grabbing Daniel's chart and briefly scanning it. She fiddled with the machines a bit, making sure everything she did was well documented in his folder before turning with a tiny wave and leaving the two of them standing at the window.

"Well…I suppose we could stay for a few more minutes," Syd laughed as her stomach growled against Vaughn's back, making him smile as well and he turned in her arms.

Wrapping her up against him, he set his chin atop her head, her cheek nestling into his chest as her hands clung above his shoulder blades.

"I need you," His voice was so quiet that she had to pull away and look directly into his eyes, seeing the desperate want pooling his emerald depths.

"Okay," she mumbled and placed a kiss to his chin, her tongue momentarily dipping into the dimple. "Let's go home. I'm not allowed to drink coffee anyway – damn caffeine dependency." She grinned, hearing his throaty chuckle as she searched around for her purse. "We need to call a cab, I don't have my car here. I came over in the ambulance and Rick dropped you off,"

"I'll do it, you get ready to go. Eat that pastry and drink the coffee; I got you decaf," he ordered, seeing her eye the fruit and sugary tartlet, knowing she was hungry by the sounds her stomach had been making. Twenty minutes later the cab was ready and they were on their way home.

'Well, in all honesty, Sydney and Danny's home,' he thought to himself as she snuggled up against his chest as well as the seat belts would allow.

"I think you're really gonna love the house, it's a great neighborhood," the mumbled into his throat, seeing him flash a lopsided grin. "What?"

"I just had that thought going through my head,"

"What thought, about the neighborhood?" she questioned with a smile, craning her neck to get a better look at him.

"No, just the fact that, technically, it's not really my house,"

"Baby, it's always been your house, you just haven't been there yet. Trust me, when you see it, you'll know. It kinda looks like you've been there all along. I made sure there were always dirty socks laying around the bedroom and dishes in the sink."

"Very funny, Mrs. Vaughn," he grumbled, tilting her face up with his palm and placing a wet kiss to her lips, his tongue jumping into her mouth as he reacquainted himself with her taste.

They barely registered that they'd stopped until they sensed they were being watched. Breaking apart slowly and opening their eyes, they noticed the cab driver with his arm over the passenger-side seat and head turned to watch them with obvious curiosity.

A slight blush tinted her cheeks as her eyes dropped to her lap. Michael laughed and placed a kiss to her temple as they gathered their things and paid, making their way to the sidewalk. Rick had apparently left the porch light on and Vaughn took a moment to look around the yard as Sydney opened the little white picket gate.

Danny's tire swing was hanging from the lowest branch of the large elm tree, and he could see a few toys scattered around the yard. A plastic lawn mower as well as a large truck with fat tires and a small wooden seat were sitting on the walkway, Sydney pushing them aside with her foot while walking up the concrete steps.

Juggling her keys around until she found the right one, she noticed a note taped to her door. Letting Vaughn explore the yard with his eyes she recognized Mrs. Gatsby's familiar, elegant handwriting.

_-Sydney Dear,_

_Rick's mother is sick and he and Joshua have gone to stay with her for a couple of days. I fed Denver at around 5:00 and took him out on a walk after watering the plants. Take care of yourself dearie, and know that all of us at church are keeping you and little Daniel in our prayers._

_-Mrs. G_

She flashed a thankful smile over at the woman's dark house, double-checking her watch to see that it was now 4:47 AM. She stifled a yawn before sliding the key into the lock, the scampering of clawed feet and persistent whimpering alerting her that the puppy was more than awake.

"Denver, you better not have eaten any of my shoes you runt," she growled, hearing Vaughn's chuckle as he slid his arms around her waist to rest his hands on her rounding stomach.

"You sure like that spot,"

"Well, the last time I saw you, you didn't have it," He hummed into her ear, pulling at the lobe with his teeth, feeling her tremble in his arms. "I'm pretty excited to learn your new curves, baby,"

She kicked the door open, unfortunately bashing into the unsuspecting puppy's nose and making him yelp.

"Ooh, sorry Denver," Sydney cooed, patting his nose as the dog delighted in getting to know the newcomer. "Michael, this is Danny's puppy, Denver. Denver, this is the man who will probably remember to feed you more often than I will," she grinned, kicking her shoes off in the entryway and tossing her keys onto the end table, the large bowl clanging with a reverberating thud at the intrusion of the brass keys.

Flipping on the lights she stopped and watched Vaughn as he meticulously scanned each detail of the living room. Danny's colored pictures were sticky taped to the edge of the fireplace, and several crates of toys were stacked in the corner.

"So this is where you live," he smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked over at her, blushing slightly when he noticed she'd been staring at him.

"No," she grinned and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "This is where **we** live."

* * *

"Eric," Nadia's delicate whisper, mixed with the light swish of water forced him back to the present and out of his dreams. He woke with a quiet grunt, tilting his head sideways to let her know he'd heard her.

"How long have I been out?" he questioned, more than content to stay in the bath with her even though the water was substantially colder than he remembered it being when they first got in.

"Almost an hour," she smiled, her lips kissing the side of his head as she pushed at him with her body. "I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired. What say we go to bed, huh?"

He grunted in response and pulled himself up, his hand holding his chest as she slid from the tub while he pulled the drain to let the water out. He looked over, seeing her wrapped up in a towel while unfolding another, waiting patiently for him to stand up and leave the depleting water. Willing his tired body to move, he pushed up and stepped out into her welcoming arms as she enveloped him with the fluffy cotton and drew him in for a kiss, keeping it brief.

"What, that's all I get?" he grumbled and yanked her back against him, her towel coming loose in the back as she clung to his shoulders to keep from toppling over.

"It's not that, Eric, I just figured we were both tired and needed rest, that's all. We've got tomorrow off, we'll spend all day in bed, I promise."

"But what if I want it now? C'mon, it's like telling a kid to wait to open **all** of the presents until Christmas morning," she re-wrapped herself quickly, turning away and walking into the bedroom with a grin tossed over her shoulder. "I always snuck down and opened one up before everyone was awake," he followed, shedding the towel and jumping onto the bed, his semi-erect cock sitting out in the open as he propped himself up against the headboard.

"Eric-" she warned, trying to keep her eyes on the many dresser drawers she pulled out in search of her pajamas.

"What - can't concentrate?" he asked in a husky voice, his hand moving down and giving his friend a stroke just to see the reaction he got from the Argentine.

She desperately wanted to squelch the pent up desire. Soon abandoning all rationale when his hand gripped his hardness, stroking a few more times until it was fully erect, all the while keeping his intense brown eyes on her every move.

'Well, two can play at this game, Mr. Weiss,' she spoke internally, dropping the towel with a flick of her wrist and sauntering over to the edge of the bed. Weiss reached out for her but she pulled back, seeing the grimace in his eyes as his hand automatically moved to his chest. A sudden spurt of guilt filled her stomach as she moved back into reaching distance mumbling a small apology.

"I think that's the first time the wounded card has ever worked," he snagged her lips for a kiss, breaking only for a moment, "Sucker; that was method acting right there," he felt her teeth bite into his lip and a half growl half yelp escaped his throat. "Ow,"

"You deserved it," she laughed as he dragged her body over his own, his insistent member between them throbbing against her abdomen.

"Nadia, please," he growled, hauling her over him and pushing them backward until her body broke their fall against the opposite end of the bed. "I don't wanna wait,"

Sliding his hand down, he briefly tweaked both nipples into full hardness before maneuvering down to her curl covered mound. Two insistent fingers slid into her warmth as she gasped his name, his tongue slipping into her mouth at the same time as his fingers into her dripping core.

"God, Nadia – you're so wet," he growled before positioning his cock and thrusting in to the hilt, the base of his cock placing a persistent pressure against her clit. She groaned along with him at the familiar sensations as he quickened his thrusts.

She clung to his shoulders, gasping as he stopped movement completely and sucked air into his starving lungs. "Nadi, I can't…I can't hold myself up," he grumbled, leaning forward as he pressed himself over her stomach and chest. "My chest hurts,"

With a silencing kiss she pushed them until they were lying on their sides, his twitching member still imbedded in her warm body. He immediately felt the weight lifted from his torso as she situated herself in his arms, finding a comfortable rhythm of pulling and thrusting in the more intimate arrangement.

He ran kisses along her jaw as her hand found his, linking their fingers together between their straining bodies. The speed and force of his thrusts increased once more as he pressed her palm against his burning sternum over his thundering heart. Her inner muscles began to contract involuntarily, and her muffled moans from her head tucked in his shoulder were the clear indication that she was close. Throwing his leg over hers he changed the angle slightly, the tip of his cock bumping and rubbing her g-spot with each plunge, and she shouted his name while toppling over the edge, stars exploding behind her closed eyes.

Weiss rained kisses from her forehead to her chin, finishing with a grunt and a strained growl, pulling her close to his throbbing, sweaty body and holding her gently.

He woke up several hours later in the same position, Nadia sleeping comfortably in his arms. He smiled softly and pulled away from her briefly while arranging the kicked pillows and blankets back to their original placement before lifting her, fire coursing through his ribs. He ignored the pain and situated her in bed, climbing in quickly and pulling the blankets up over their cool bodies. Kissing her forehead he drifted off in relative comfort, though the Vaughn family was still in the forefront of his thoughts.

* * *

After forcing each other to postpone their sexual reunion, Sydney and Vaughn managed to get around five hours of sleep before waking at around 8:30 with a desire to see their son. Showering together slowly, Vaughn taking his time with learning all of her new curves, they maintained some semblance of control and finished before things got out of hand.

A short breakfast and a twenty minute trip to the hospital put them right back where they'd been the previous two days – Danny's bedside.

Passing the time with reminiscing and sharing stories from their time apart, it was almost one in the afternoon when Vaughn fell asleep in the uncomfortable chair on the opposite side of the room, Sydney smiling and brushing a kiss against his forehead after draping a scratchy blue blanket over his twisted body.

"Danny, you should see what you're doing to your daddy. He's so sad that you aren't awake to play with him," she smiled, taking her usual seat on the bed next to the boy's inert body. The door opened quietly, the familiar and friendly nurse throwing Sydney a smile before walking in with a new chart in her hands.

"Good news, Sydney," she scanned the pages briefly prior to setting them on the small cart beside the bed, "it looks like we're going to try and wean Daniel off of the oxygen. We're going to bring him down from 94 to around 84,"

"Wow that is good news. Only after two days?"

"Yep. With the small incision the oxygen was basically provided just so the stitches would have a chance to settle in without too much pulling during regular breathing. He'll probably wake up later tonight,"

"I can't wait, I'm sure Michael will be ecstatic! Thank you so much; everyone here has just taken such good care of him, I really don't know what to say," tears formed in her eyes and dropped down her cheeks, the kind nurse handing her a Kleenex and offering a hug while making her rounds.

"It was our pleasure, my dear. Now I have the rest of today and tomorrow of, so I won't be here, but Janice is wonderful with kids and I've requested her to see to Daniel until I get back." Moving to Danny's side she brought down his oxygen by 10, waiting a few minutes to make sure he didn't have any complications and writing everything down on his chart. "Now his heart rate may increase, which is a normal thing so you don't have to worry about it. It's natural for the heart to try and pump more oxygenated blood since we'll be lowering the O2 levels. You take care,"

"Thank you," Sydney sniffled as they shared a quick farewell and slid back onto the bed next to her son.

She woke up two hours later with a stiff neck and sore shoulders. She looked around the room and saw Michael still sleeping in the chair, his head turned at an awkward angle to his body as he snored lightly. She smiled and stood, stretching her arms out over her head in an effort to alleviate the angry muscles, standing and setting a kiss to her husband's forehead before walking from the room to a soda machine down the hallway.

Vaughn woke slowly, searching the room for something to remind him of where he was. When his eyes settled on Danny's small figure lying on the bed with tubes everywhere, it all came rushing back to him. He turned when the door opened quietly, Sydney stepping in with two bottles of water and a small smile on her face when she noticed he was awake.

"Sleep well?" she offered him one, seeing him take it and set it on the nightstand before pulling her into his lap with a tired sigh.

"Yeah," he commented, brushing his lips against her temple as they both looked over at the sedated little boy.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" her voice was small.

"I think he'll pull through, he's pretty tough. The doctor said that we have to give him twenty-four more hours. If he makes it that long he's in the clear, and that will be a very good thing." He closed his eyes once more, resting his cheek against hers as they sat together.

A shrill beeping make them both jump, neither realizing they'd fallen asleep cuddled in a warm cocoon. Danny's body was limp and deathly pale, his mouth hanging slack with the tube taped to his lip.

"Oh my God," Sydney cried, she and Vaughn jumping up.

The words barely escaped her lips before the doctors flew through the door, medical terms spouted left and right as a nurse grabbed the shocked parents, jarring their eyes from the scene.

"You need to leave,"

"Wait, what's happening…we need to know," Vaughn tried to push her away but they were ushered out of the room anyway.

"He's going into cardiac arrest get the defibrillator." the doctor yelled, and just before the door closed on them both.

* * *

A/N: I don't believe I said this before, but I just want to be clear. S4 happened, but without the whole Rambaldi thing. So yes, Irina is out there somewhere, Vaughn knows the truth about his father, and Syd's dad did get sick. Oh, and Elena was taken care of by Irina, just use your imaginations with that one and subtract the Rambaldi. 


	31. Chapter 31: To Lose, Mourn, and Rebound

Chapter 31: To Lose, to Mourn, and to Rebound

(Mature Content)

* * *

It was a chilly Colorado morning as they stood, garbed in black, next to the gaping grave. Sydney took a moment to wipe at her face with the tissue, feeling Vaughn's fingers rubbing her lower back as she clutched the simple white rose in her free hand. Nadia and Eric stood across the void, her sister with tears streaking down her face as well and Weiss tossed her a compassionate half-smile as the minister finished his sermon, looking over at Sydney as her cue to start the eulogy. 

She cleared her throat, compartmentalizing until she was able to speak clearly and took a tiny step forward.

"My father used to sing to me; every night before I fell asleep he'd sing me a song, a lullaby, that I now sing to my son. Every single time I recite the words I can't help but think back on the life that my father led," she pause, fighting to maintain her composure before continuing.

"My dad was probably the bravest man I'd ever met. Even though we didn't always see eye to eye, until nearly the end of our relationship, I knew that I could always count on him to be there for me – no matter what the situation or how much trouble I was in.

"He was a wonderful father, even if I didn't always agree with him. There were things in his past – things that he'd done in **my** past that were hard to forgive or to understand, but I now know that everything he did was out of a fierce love to protect me.

"He'd always been so strong. Despite the abrasive demeanor, and the fact that he scared most of the people he interacted with or um, ever met, I took shelter in his overbearing, protective side. The last few months of his life were spent harboring a secret that no one should ever have to carry, and for that I feel like I let him down by not talking to him more often – by closing myself off from the life I left behind," she sobbed, taking a moment as Vaughn stepped up beside her and took her hand in his as a show of support.

"I'll miss you, daddy," she sniffed, tossing the rose over the coffin, whispering "I love you" one last time before turning and walking back toward the black sedan they'd driven. The minister said a final prayer as they lowered the body into the ground, people dispersing as Vaughn approached his tired and sniffling wife as she leaned against a tall tree.

"It hurts, Vaughn," she sobbed, letting herself be pulling into the comfort of his arms. She buried her face into his throat as she cried again, the millionth time since she'd received the news of Jack Bristow's death. From radiation poisoning of all things. Secretly she knew it was her fault. If she hadn't been locked inside that reactor to get the core, he wouldn't have had to take such serious measures to rescue her - and for that her guilt was endless.

She felt even worse when she'd read his will, signed the necessary papers, and noticed that he'd asked for his resting place to be in Colorado close to his daughter and her family. She'd been extremely surprised to hear that he'd kept several bank accounts in her favor, so that if something ever happened to him she'd be **well** taken care of. While it hadn't surprised her too much to learn that her father had been saving money away, the amount still startled her when she signed for the money to be transferred into her account.

The grand total was just over 1.3 million dollars. A million dollars! Her mind, and Vaughn's, were still reeling from the news, but the morning after Danny's incident their insurance company had left a message saying that they didn't have the right coverage to pay for the family's hospital bills. In a way, Jack Bristow's death was a secure deposit on Danny's life.

Everything had happened so quickly, Danny being rushed back into surgery to repair the incision on his lung; APO sending her word that her father had died - and the sheer fact that she hadn't gotten too much sleep in the last week made it hard not to want to fall into Michael's embrace and hibernate.

"Hey, I know Nadi and Eric are staying with us for a couple days, but they won't be back until tonight," Vaughn sighed, his chin propped up on her head as his hands caressed her back in smooth, long strokes. "What say we go see Danny and then head home? You need the rest."

"Okay," she complied, seeing him pull away and look down at her with surprised eyes. "As much as I'd like to fight you, I'm just too tired." She sighed, turning and seeing Dixon and Marshall walking toward them.

"We didn't want to intrude, but…well – since we have to fly back in an hour-" Marshall stuttered, Dixon stepping in.

"We wanted to say good-bye. And take care," he held his arms out, Sydney willingly sliding into them as she whispered her thanks into his ear.

"Thank you," she moved to Marshall, surprising the techie by taking him in a fierce hug. "Both of you. You've done so much for me in the past, I really don't know how I can ever repay you for the support you've given," she smiled past her tears, Dixon wiping one away with his finger as he turned and walked back, Marshall following after an awkward wave, moisture gathering in his eyes as well.

"Sydney, my condolences," Sloane's voice penetrated the air as he stepped up to her side, checking his watch momentarily before slipping his hands behind his back. His crisp black suit was almost too perfect, and in Sydney's mind, based on the kind of person he was, it should be wrinkled and stained.

"Thanks," her reply was cold, and Vaughn kept his hand against her elbow for support and to keep her from doing something she may regret.

"And my sympathy to you with what you're going through with Danny. I know how hard it is to have someone you love so sick with cancer, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone; especially you Sydney,"

"Why not?" she countered, her countenance turning icy.

"Because despite what you think of me, I've always loved you as a daughter," Sloane explained inappropriately.

"And your compassion and love made me **sick**," she growled, Vaughn's hand tightening on her own as a reminder to keep a calm, cool head.

"I know I haven't done anything to earn your love, but everything I did for you was out of a means to protect you," he paused, seeing the warning flash in her eyes. "In a way, I'm exactly like your father was. He did everything to protect you, and I-"

His sentence was cut short as her fist connected with his jaw, causing several people to divert their attention to the scene of the older man in his crisp Armani suit sprawled at the feet of the grieving daughter, his hand holding his tender jaw.

"Don't you even compare yourself to my father! He was a better man than you could ever hope to be," she snarled as tears flooded her eyes and she turned, flashing her staring sister an apologetic glance as Vaughn opened the door for her and moved around to the other side, the driver starting up the car.

She barely noticed Vaughn sliding in next to her as they pulled from the cemetery and out onto the busy street. Michael gave the driver directions to their home, and after a confirmation by way of a nod, settled back in his seat to look at his wife.

"I love you, Sydney," he told her in a low, soothing voice, and she turned to look over at him with wide, red-rimmed brown eyes.

Her teeth bit at the inside of her cheek as he met her stare with his own kind and loving green eyes, his hand moving to cup her cheek as his thumb wiped the fresh tear away from the corner of her eye.

She leaned into his hand; her eyes closing and head tipping back to rest on the seat. His fingers continued to caress her soft skin until he knew she was asleep, and only then did he move away to pull her close, her head resting in his lap.

Vaughn unlocked the door to their home, hearing the whines of the excited puppy, as he held Sydney against his chest. Making it past the doorknob, he pushed it open and quickly kicked it closed to keep the hot air outside where it belonged. Dodging several boxes of Jack Bristow's things – sent to Sydney a couple days ago – he made his way up stairs and into their large bedroom.

Dropping her on the bed gently, he proceeded to pull off her shoes and knee-high hose, tossing them across the room toward the hamper before moving up to her skirt. This simple act alone was getting him excited, and he briefly scolded himself, deciding that she could sleep comfortably in the outfit she was in. Closing the door behind him, he jogged down the steps to be playfully jumped on by their runt of a dog.

He wrestled with Denver for a few minutes before going out to get the mail. The dog bounded around his legs and bounced around the yard as Vaughn opened the mailbox up with a sigh.

"Good morning, Michael," Mrs. Gatsby called, crossing the street with a tin in her hands. "How is Sydney doing? And Danny - we all love that little boy."

Though he'd only met her once, briefly, he had to admit that the old woman had grown on him. Her kind and loving heart was something he was immediately drawn to, not to mention the fact that she'd taken such good care of his wife and son when he couldn't.

"Well, Sydney's doing as good as can be expected with everything that's going on, and Danny is still sedated. They're talking about him hopefully waking up this evening or tomorrow, but we'll just have to be patient and see how it goes. Why don't you come on in? Syd made some lemonade a couple days ago and I'm pretty sure there's some left," he invited.

"I'd love to! Oh, and I brought lunch as well," she tapped the metal tin with a finger as Vaughn grabbed the mail, calling the dog, before they made their way inside.

A few moments later, she had the sandwiches out with some potato salad, the deli turkey moist and full of flavor. "You know, Michael, I have to admit that I was a little angry at you before you came out to Denver," she told him quietly.

"Angry? Why?" he asked, pulling himself up to the counter on one of the tall bar stools.

"Well, any man who would choose his job over Sydney and Daniel didn't get too much credit in my book," she explained.

"Wait, I would never choose my job over them, it was just how it had to be for a few months," he defended, hearing her small chuckle.

"No, I know, but still," she paused, sticking her head into the fridge to locate the mayonnaise, "until Sydney talked about you, only after I asked by the way, did I see that you really made her happy. Even from so far away, your bond was such that it set her mind at ease by the mere mention or thought of you."

Vaughn couldn't suppress the grin on his face as he looked down at the food she'd placed in front of him. "Well, it works both ways. I wanted nothing more than just to drop everything and…well…just leave it all behind." He took a large bite, grunting in approval as he heard Sydney coming down the stairs. As she rounded the corner, picking up the stack of mail on the end table, Vaughn noticed that she'd changed from the somber black clothes into something more summer related. The khaki shorts came to about mid thigh and were drawstring so they'd fit over the bump she was growing. The dark blue spaghetti strapped t-shirt with a small picture of Sesame Street's Grover on the front was also slightly stretched near the bottom, and she turned, seeing him studying her with a small smile on his face.

She blushed, straightening the shirt one last time before entering the kitchen.

"You didn't sleep very long, baby," Vaughn mumbled, pulling her between his legs as he sat on the stool and placing a light, chaste kiss to her mouth before she noticed Mrs. Gatsby watching from the kitchen.

She turned in Michael's grasp, her back against his chest as his hands automatically moved to circle the bulge of her stomach. "Mrs. Gatsby, you didn't have to bring lunch over," she smiled, giving the woman a thankful glance as her stomach grumbled under Vaughn's hands.

"Does that mean you don't want one?" the older woman taunted, waving the plate complete with sandwich, a large helping of potato salad, and a handful of chips in front of the hungry mother-to-be.

"Well…if you insist," she smiled as she reached out and grabbed the plate, extracting herself from Vaughn's hold and sliding up next to him in her own chair.

They ate quietly until the front door opened and Weiss' laugh, followed by Nadia's, floated through to the kitchen.

"Hello?" Eric called out quietly, hoping that if they were asleep they wouldn't hear them.

"We're in the kitchen, and there's food," Sydney called and, not surprisingly, Weiss was the first one around the corner.

"Mrs. Gatsby, this is my sister, Nadia, and our good friend Eric," Sydney introduced them, watching with a smile as they shook hands and seeing the neighbor fix her with a curious stare.

"You didn't tell me you had a sister," she said accusingly.

"Well, we're technically half-sisters, but we just ignore the 'half' part," Nadia grinned, seeing Eric picking up one of the sandwiches.

"Help yourself, there's plenty," Mrs. Gatsby told him. The group once against lapsed into silence as they ate, filling their stomachs for the first time that day. Occasional conversation flowed, but they were brief and mostly on the woman's side. The men acknowledged a statement with a grunt or a nod, content to stuff themselves completely. There was a bit of a somber air hanging over the attendees of the funeral, and that mixed in with Danny being in the hospital, but they were more than happy to try and pull out of the emotional rut with old stories and food.

The phone rang a while later, Sydney walking out on a story she'd heard a million times from Weiss as she laughed while picking up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Anna at Denver Children's Hospital; may I speak with Mr. or Mrs. Vaughn?"

"This is Mrs. Vaughn," her smile faded as the conversation in the room grew quiet.

"Little Daniel woke up about ten minutes ago," the woman began.

"He did? Is he okay?" at her statement Vaughn stood and moved next to her, frowning slightly when he saw her smile. "Okay – uh huh; we'll be right over. Thank you," she hung up, looking back into the room of expectant faces, waiting patiently for an explanation.

"That was the hospital," she grinned, grabbing Vaughn's hand, "Danny's awake!"

* * *

By the time they'd all piled into the car, Weiss and Nadia taking time to change their clothes, and got to the hospital, the exhausted little boy fallen back to sleep. The comforting thing was that he was no longer sedated. Sydney, Nadia and Weiss went down to the small gift shop to pick Danny up a balloon and a stuffed animal while Vaughn stayed with his son. 

He started out next to the bed, and then moved from Danny's side to the window. His eyes scanned the beautiful scenery – the majestic mountains jutting up and a series of small ridges leading up to the foothills. The city of Denver was laid out before him and, despite the heat, he knew that it wouldn't be too hard to call this place home.

Ideally, anywhere Sydney and Danny were would be a perfect home, and the mere thought of the words was enough to make his stomach do flips. Of course, his first week in Colorado was a bit different than he had imagined, but things were bound to get better. If there was any one thing he'd taken away from his roller coaster relationship with Sydney Bristow-Vaughn, it was that as long as they managed to stay together, almost anything was possible.

"How cheesy is _that_ thought?" he muttered to himself with a grin, moving back to sit on the edge of Danny's bed.

He pulled the tiny hand into his larger one, his thumb tracing the back as he turned his gaze once more to the window as Flight for Life took off from the terrace on the adjacent building.

"Daddy?"

Danny's little wheeze of a whisper was barely audible, but Vaughn instantly turned all of his attention to the little boy struggling to open his eyes as he fought the waning drugs in his system.

"I'm here, Dans - I'm here, buddy," he reassured as he felt Danny's hand squeeze his finger weakly.

"Daddy," he mumbled once more before drifting off again, his hand firmly holding to his father's large finger.

Tears fell from Vaughn's eyes as he leaned forward, kissing the boy's forehead repeatedly when Sydney and the others walked into the room.

"He just woke up," Vaughn commented, wiping his face quickly to try and clear any sign of his crying from his face, failing miserably as Nadia pulled Weiss from the room to give the parents a minute. "Just for a minute, then he fell back to sleep, but he recognized me; he called for me," he smiled, his eyes welling up again as Sydney grabbed a Kleenex and crossed the room, his arms pulling her into his lap.

"Vaughn, you're such a great dad," she crooned, turning sideways so his head could rest against her chest and her fingers could sift through his hair. One hand supported her back while the other found its usual place over their unborn child as they watched Danny sleep.

The doctors had taken the tube out two days ago, and he seemed to be getting better. They were assured that the amount of sleep he was getting was a good thing, but the fact that both parents could only wait was something that really tried their patience.

"I can't wait to see him awake and playing around," he whispered, his voice still watery, and Sydney's unmoving fingers once again taking up their movement through his hair, moving down lower to the nape of his neck.

"If you want to see something funny, you should've seen him wrestle with Denver. That dog could eat him if he wanted, but he's always so gentle. I think we really lucked out by getting an animal Denver's size and not have him be the equivalent to a junk-yard-dog." she grinned, as Vaughn chuckled, his breath fanning her chest in a cool rush.

Despite what Vaughn may think of her right now, postponing their sex until she knew Danny was going to be all right, plus the whole incident with APO and her father's death, she was slowly being driven crazy. Each little touch, every caress was beginning to mentally wear her down. That coupled with the new raging hormones from being pregnant would turn a loving gesture into a complete lust-bomb explosion.

"You know, Vaughn, I've been thinking," she started to say.

"About what?" he turned his head to look up at her, a questioning half smile quirking up his mouth as he noticed the blush on her cheeks and neck. "You okay?"

"Yeah – yeah, I'm fine, but I was just thinking that with Danny waking up being good news and my father's funeral as bad news, it kinda evens out a bit, you know? I mean, without the money from my father," she paused to try and keep herself from crying again, "we wouldn't be able to afford Danny's medical bills."

"Wow…you really have been thinking," he pressed a kiss to her the small spot below her ear as she continued.

"Well, that's not really what I was thinking about," with another small pause, she looked down at him with a half, Cheshire cat grin. "Maybe we should break our celibacy," she grinned at the thought. "I know you've been frustrated, and I didn't mean for it to be an unspoken agreement to keep from being with each other like that, but-"

"Sydney, you're rambling. Besides… I might be able to help you with that," he chuckled, his hand cupping the back of her neck and pulling her in for a warm, wet kiss, his tongue sliding demandingly into her mouth as she groaned, wiggling on his lap.

"Okay, we need to stop right now, because I won't be responsible for my actions if you keep doing that," he growled, pulling with a smack away from her lips as his hands gripped her waist in an effort to still her.

"Okay," she reluctantly moved off of his lap, noticing a growing lump in his trousers as Nadia opened the door, knocking quietly while entering.

"Everything okay in here?" she asked with a smile, seeing Sydney carefully sit next to Danny on the bed and Vaughn move his jacket into his lap nonchalantly. "Look, Eric and I are gonna grab a hotel for tonight, since all of our stuff is still in the rental car-"

"And so you guys'll have some privacy to boink," Eric interrupted from behind her with a chuckle, Nadia effectively shutting him up with an elbow to the ribs.

"We'll see you tomorrow for breakfast, though, I know where the spare key is," she grinned and they left, Sydney smiling over at Vaughn, a promise by way of a grin that they'll spend the entire night reacquainting themselves with one another.

Dinner time passed by, and around 8:00 Danny's doctor strolled into the room with a smile.

"Just for tonight I'm going to give him some medicine to help him sleep. I want to make sure he gets at least one more full night of rest before tomorrow," he explained patiently to the still-worried parents.

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" Sydney asked, moving away from Danny's side as the doctor checked over several different things, especially the large bandage across the incision in the little boy's chest.

"Well, we're going to try and keep him awake for a portion of the day, just to see how well his breathing is doing while he's awake. It's a bit different than being asleep, because the functions of the body aren't all going at the same time. Everything relatively shuts down, so we're going to see how much he can handle by way of just staying awake tomorrow."

"When will you start the clock, we'd like to be here with him," Vaughn stated, sliding his shoes back on as Sydney did the same with her flip-flops.

"The first time he wakes up tomorrow, we'll give him a lot of water by way of mouth and IV, that way it'll clear the drugs from his system quicker than if we just let them wear off on their own. Hopefully you'll be able to have a full conversation with him awake tomorrow," he smiled and left, Sydney looking over at Vaughn with a small smirk.

"Am I a bad person to want to leave him so quickly?" she asked as Vaughn sped home, still getting used to the streets as Sydney reminded him occasionally which way to turn.

"Nah," he grunted as his hand continued to massage her knee. "You're not a bad person at all, baby; they said he'd be out until tomorrow – and we _do_ need the rest…" he left off with a wiggle of his eyebrows and a sly grin as they pulled into the driveway.

As they jumped from the car, Vaughn stopped with the key poised at the lock of the front door.

"We're not moving too fast into this, are we?" he asked with a turn of his head, seeing Sydney flash him the look that said 'what the hell are you talking about?' "I mean, I don't want to rush you if you're not ready," he hastened to explain to his pregnant wife.

She grabbed the key from his hand and shoved it quickly into its respective hole, kicking the door open and shoving him inside. "Vaughn, for God's sake; we're already married! It's not like a first date or anything," she growled, dropping her purse without a sideways glance and throwing herself into his arms.

He caught her with a grunt as she clamped her mouth over his, familiar feelings beginning to stir at the feel of her body against his. His hands instantly went to her waist, his thumbs caressing the curve of their child.

"Although, I **do** think we should try and make it to the bedroom rather than in front of a large, open window," she countered between kisses, her hands already struggling to quickly release the buttons of his shirt without completely destroying it. They struggled up the stairs in an awkward tangle of arms and legs, trying desperately not to trip, knee, or elbow one another.

He kicked the door closed in Denver's face, the dog tossing them a growl through the wooden barrier before trotting off down the hallway into Danny's room and curling up on the boy's abandoned bed.

Vaughn had managed to get Syd's over-shirt off and was now in the process of lifting the hem of her Grover Shirt when her fingers slid his own top off of his shoulders and onto the floor. She pulled away briefly to review Vaughn's body. Though they'd showered together a couple times, she really hadn't spent much time ogling him what with everything else going on.

Now that she more than a few moments, she scanned his torso and saw the muscles she remembered, and a few new ones added. "You've been working out," she noted lustfully.

"Well, not so much since I've been out here, but back in L.A., yes. I worked out a few hours every day," he mumbled.

"Why?" she asked, sliding her arms up over his chest and around his neck, pressing her rounded stomach into his taut, rippled abdomen.

"Because it gave me something to do other than miss you," he muttered, a bit embarrassed by his revelation, but she just smiled and kissed him. Her tongue traced over his bottom lip as his met it, tangling languidly as they searched one another's mouths extensively. The kiss was slow, starting like a small flame that would quickly grow into a heated inferno.

Though their bodies were ablaze, they kept the kisses and touches slow and deliberate, memorizing each other's new curves, though separately they were very different, together it was almost getting to know a new person.

Vaughn's hands finally grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it slowly over her head, his fingers dragging along her stomach and chest as they broke apart only until the garment was tossed over a shoulder, their mouths melding together once more.

His kisses had become more ardent, his mouth brazenly attacking her own with occasional nibbles to both lips and tongue, Sydney quickly meeting his pace with equal fervor. His hands were everywhere at once, congregating at the middle of her back to release the clasps of her bra before traveling over her shoulders to grab the straps. Slowly sliding them down her arms, spots danced before his eyes and they finally broke apart to suck air into their starving lungs.

His eyes immediately went to her breasts, and what used to fit perfectly in both hands now spilled over and between his fingers. He wondered why he hadn't noticed before, but the whoosh of the ragged air forced from her throat, at his touch, redirected his attention to pleasing his almost over-stimulated wife.

His fingers traced the areola, purposefully ignoring her hard little peaks as they begged to be touched. He felt her teeth bite into his collarbone, and with a grin, his fingers skipped over her breasts and moved down her stomach, his hand finding the clasp of her jeans as he backed them up to the edge of the bed.

As soon as the back of her knees hit the mattress, she let herself fall back onto the downy comforter, his body not expecting the sudden drop as he almost landed directly on top of her. Bracing himself up with his hands next to her head, he leaned in for another kiss. His tongue dipped into her mouth briefly before pulling away and looking down where his fingers struggled with the button of her jeans.

"These are so tight, Syd," he grunted, "how the hell you do get them on at all?"

"They're a little small I know, but I haven't had too much time to go shopping for very many maternity clothes," she grumbled, thrusting her hips a bit in an effort to get him to hurry.

He managed to get the snap, followed by the zipper, as he tugged them down her legs and off onto the floor. She was wearing a matching set of bra and panties – minus the bra of course – yet discreet for something with lace, and he smiled up at her.

"Did you plan this?" he asked and stood, topless but still wearing his own pair of jeans as well as his socks.

"Maybe," she smiled, bright dimples shining as she sat up and pulled him close by the belt loops.

She traced a fingernail along the edge of skin and denim, feeling him shiver underneath her touch as she poked a finger in to feel nothing but skin and the faint beginnings of curled hair.

"You're not wearing any boxers," she grinned, looking up at his adoring face, eyes full of love, and a dimpled smile to match her own. "You planned for this, too, didn't you?"

"I figured that if you needed to be seduced I could just whisper that I wasn't wearing any boxers and that would get you," he conceded.

"It's worked before," she giggled, leaning forward to press a kiss over his belly button, her tongue jumping into the small hole as she undid his trousers completely, releasing a very hard cock from the confines of his jeans. "Someone's eager to see me," she smirked.

"Hey, he hasn't seen you for a little over three months, give the poor guy a break," Vaughn muttered through his lustful haze.

She cocked an eyebrow up at him as he shoved his pants down to the floor, toeing off his socks and kicking them aside.

She'd lain back down, propping herself up on her side while watching him undress like she had so many times back in L.A., but this time was so completely different, it made her frown a little.

"What's **that** face for, baby?" he asked, sliding over the bed next to her, mimicking her stance with their heads held up by their elbow-propped hands. His hand reached out to her hip, pulling them closer together, and one finger slipped underneath the waistband of her panties to gently pull at the elastic.

She merely smiled up at him and leaned over, tracing her lips up from his throat to his own and sliding her tongue into his mouth. He met her, his hand running up her arm to cup her cheek, his thumb lightly brushing the soft skin underneath her eye.

"You are so beautiful, Sydney," he murmured against her nibbling mouth, lifting her hips sideways to slide the elegant panties off. Her foot moved up and caught the band with her big toe, kicking them to the floor.

"I missed you so much, Michael," she responded. "I don't want to wait any more, please," she begged, feeling him wrap her up against his chest and roll them so he was above her.

"Wait, if we do this are we gonna hurt the baby?" he asked quickly, pulling away and propping his heavy body up with both hands and feet in an awkward position.

Sydney just laughed, her fingers running through his hair and framing his face. "You're not going to hurt either one of us, I swear," she promised, feeling his erection hard and insistent against her abdomen.

He lowered himself slowly, making sure to keep most of his weight on his arms until almost all of his body with connected with hers. For the first time in months, he felt like he was home. His Sydney was his home, and he had no plans to leave in the future.

Vaughn's fingers traced down her chest, skimming over each jutting peak before traversing over the curve of her stomach, dipping into the belly button and finally reaching her slick folds. The second his finger grazed her clit she thrust up against his hand.

"Vaughn, I've never been more ready for anything in my entire life. I'll attack you," she warned, seeing the grin on his face but also reading his desire to take things slow in his eyes. "Baby, we've got all night. There's going to be plenty of time," she promised, hands wrapping around his waist to pull him closer, the head of his cock touching her outer lips, teasing gently until he got himself situated above her.

Tucking an arm behind her head as a pillow, their proximity making their noses rub together, he left the other arm to prop himself up.

"You sure you're ready?" he asked with a mischievous grin, hearing her growl from beneath as he repositioned his hips, feeling her opening under his sensitive crown, and impaling himself in one long hard thrust.

She gasped at the familiar sensations, hearing his groan from above as he buried his face into her throat. He seemed to be a bit bigger than she remembered, and with the pause in their lovemaking, her body struggled to adjust to his size.

To him, she felt impossibly tighter, and he had to fight the urge not to come immediately. Taking deep breaths, the air fanning her glazed skin, he pulled back slowly, inch by inch leaving her welcoming warmth until she was empty once more. Her small whimper made him grin as he took a moment to stare down at his wife while sliding back in to the hilt.

Sydney's eyes were closed and her mouth was open, a small 'O' formed by her pouting lips. Her cheeks were rosy and her breath was ragged as her hands clung to his back.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, he pushed in completely and readjusted his body. Pulling his arm out from underneath her head he propped himself up with both hands adjacent to her flowing hair, the tresses tangling in his spread fingers. He retreated once more with his hips in a long stroke before plunging back in, his lower half pumping as he tried to be mindful of their cocooned child.

With each thrust they were pushed closer to the precipice, and with the contraction of Sydney's inner muscles, coupled with her mewling squeaks and lusty groans, he exploded quickly, his cock pulsating inside her core as she trembled around him, her orgasm shattering around her with the first burst against her sensitive walls.

His mouth moved from her shoulder, a dotted line of three or four purple marks marring her skin – marks he didn't really remember making – until they reached her own lips. Drinking in each other's exhalation, they shared everything from light pecks to deep, passionate kisses.

Willing his arms and legs to cooperate, he rolled them both to their sides before realizing they'd have to dislocate to make it up to the head of the bed.

"Not yet, I don't want to move yet," she pleaded, her arms tightening around his shoulders in an attempt to keep them together both physically and emotionally.

"'kay," he promised, feeling her mouth brush against his shoulders and neck, her face still buried into his shoulder.

His hands caressed her back and arms, one moving in to splay over the entirety of the small lump between them. He felt a light flutter against his hand, chuckling lightly as he felt Syd's breathless giggle cooling the sweat against his throat.

"I think we woke her up, she hasn't been this active at this time all week," she finally pulled back to look up at him.

"You're pretty dead-set on it being a girl, Mrs. Vaughn," he grumbled, placing a kiss to her moist forehead as the movement continued beneath his palm. "You'll have to excuse me as I revert to a little kid-"

She interrupted during his pause, "Which isn't too much different than how you are anyway,"

"Very funny," he growled, pushing his hips up with a small thrust with his semi-hard cock, letting her know round two was imminent. "As I was saying, I have to know. Does it hurt when **he** moves around?" stressing the word 'he' as she tried to recover from his unscheduled movement.

"Ummm…no, not really. It kinda feels like my stomach is growling like when I'm hungry," she explained with a small smile, seeing the curiosity in his eyes as his fingers danced over the expanding skin of her stomach. "Ask away, baby, I can see the questions floating around," she grinned.

"How bad was the morning sickness?" he asked quietly, his fault for not being around in the beginning of the pregnancy beginning to show by way of forehead creases.

"Oh, it still happens. It's not too bad now. It was in the beginning though - about eight weeks in. Every hour almost on the hour between six in the morning and around two in the afternoon I got really friendly with the toilet," she grinned, seeing his unfounded guilt shining in his green eyes.

"Sweetie, it's not your fault that you weren't here, so stop beating yourself up." she ordered, her hand moving up to press the wrinkles away with her thumb. "I love you; I'm just glad that you get to be here for the rest of it."

"I still feel bad. I should have been here for you, Syd," he whispered.

"You were-"

"No," he cut her off quickly with a shake of his head. "You have no idea how badly I just wanted to leave. I almost did…once. I had the bag all packed up the night that I called and heard you crying over the phone. You sounded so broken, Sydney, and I wanted nothing more than just to leave the CIA behind and run to you," he sighed, looking down at the tears in her eyes, in contrast with the bright smile on her face.

"Michael, we've got the sonogram in two days," she reminded with a deft change of subject.

He laughed, his mouth dropping to hers for a loving kiss.

"Well…I can't wait to see him," he responded.

"Her,"

"Whatever," he growled, covering her mouth with his to silence her argument, though her chuckle didn't go unheard.

* * *


	32. Chapter 32: This is the Good Life

Chapter 32: This is the Good Life

* * *

Vaughn's leg bounced rapidly in the chair as he scanned the room with agent-trained eyes. There were several other pregnant couples in the large waiting room, most with noticeably larger belly's than his expecting wife, but it gave him a glimpse of the future – and he liked it.

There was one man that sat across from them, his head buried in a magazine filled with pregnancy information and graphic photos. Vaughn knew because he'd picked up that same magazine fifteen minutes ago. Though it was filled with good information, he wasn't at all excited to see Sydney in so much pain.

On his right, a couple sat with a wide-eyed three-year old, the little boy's hand rubbing his mother's belly protectively. Vaughn smiled at the toddler who tentatively smiled back and gave a timid wave. Michael repeated the pattern and started a small game of monkey-see-monkey-do. The little boy took his thumb from his mouth as he set the small chubby hand to the top of his head. Vaughn copied him, catching Sydney's eye as she looked up from the book on her lap.

The child reached out, setting his hand against his mommy's large stomach before looking over at Vaughn expectantly. Not one to be outdone by an infant, he set his own hand over Sydney's smaller lump.

"Bigger," his voice was tiny, his parents laughing quietly as they watched the soon-to-be father interact with their son.

"Yeah, a little bit," Vaughn grinned, pulling his hand away as the toddler walked over and grabbed his finger to pull him up.

"Blocks," he pointed over to the Kid's Korner, a fun little area for any impatient child outside of the womb to play in.

"No, no, Zachary, you leave the nice man alone." His father tried to pull him back, Vaughn tossing the other dad a small smile and holding up his hand.

"It's not a problem, luckily for your son, I love blocks." he grinned, allowing himself to be pulled over to the toy section.

"Yes you do, sweetie," Sydney commented wryly from behind her magazine, Vaughn tossing her a mock glare as the couple laughed.

"Your husband has a way with kids, he's gonna be a great father," the young woman smiled, holding her hand out to Sydney. "I'm Brenda, this is Thomas and our little one is Zachary,"

"I'm Sydney and my little one's name is Michael," she in turn pointed over at the Kid's Korner with a grin, hearing Vaughn's chuckle.

"Ha, ha," he growled as he and Zachary built a tall tower only to have it knocked down by the little boy's foot.

"Go boom!" he cried, clapping his hands together in glee.

"Actually, we adopted a four year old as well, so he's had some practice." Sydney explained, seeing them nod and their eye fill with questions.

"You adopted even though you could have children?" Thomas questioned lightly, turning in his seat to face Sydney.

She set down her book and crossed her legs, finding the conversation much more pleasant that information on contractions and pushing something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a plum. "Well, we did some traveling with a governmental organization to his orphanage in England to shut them down. They'd been treating the kids pretty badly, and once we got there little Danny was the only child they had in their custody. So we were authorized to take him with us back to America, which took a couple days, and he just grew on us," she smiled, pulling a photo of the three of them from her wallet and showing it off, Vaughn's ears trained on the conversation as well.

From her fluidity with the cover story he knew it wasn't the first time she'd ever told that lie. Still, omitting several of the pertinent details, the gist of the story had been told and he smiled at his wife's small gesture of showing a picture of Danny off. He had one in his wallet as well and delighted in showing it to everyone he saw.

"Awww, he's just precious. Is he here with you both?" Brenda asked, her eyes scanning the room for the face of the little boy.

"Actually no, he's got a pretty severe case of childhood cancer - though he is on the mend. Unfortunately he's spent the last week or so in the hospital," Sydney sighed, looking down at the picture and rubbing it lovingly with her thumb before placing it back into its spot, sliding the wallet back into her purse.

"Oh, bless your heart," Brenda gasped, setting her hand against her chest. "That's just heartbreaking,"

"It's been tough, but we're getting through it." Sydney smiled over at Vaughn seeing his loving gaze trained on her as Zachary tried to regain his attention.

"Mrs. Vaughn?" the nurses' assistant called at the door to the back room, both Sydney and Michael standing to attention.

"You go?" Zachary asked, tugging on Vaughn's hand as Sydney walked over to them.

"Yep, I've gotta go pal, but it was nice playing with you. You have fun," he smiled, ruffling the boy's hair as he and his wife passed through the doors, Sydney being led to a scale.

"Since this is your first visit, there's going to be a lot of questions we'll ask, just to compile a new folder for you," the nurse explained as Sydney jumped up onto the scale after slipping out of her flip flops.

Vaughn reached down, lifting the shoes into his hand and earning a grateful smile from his wife as they measured her weight.

"What was your starting weight?"

"122 lbs," she looked down, seeing that she'd already gained between ten and twelve in a little over four months.

"Okay, let's head into the examination room,"

They followed her into a room where a gown was waiting for them on the tilted chair-like table.

"I'll leave you to get undressed, just slip into this and the doctor will be in a few moments. Until then here's a clipboard and a few questionnaire-like forms to fill out, take your time." she smiled, taking Sydney's temperature and blood-pressure before leaving.

"Here, I'll start writing stuff down while you change," Michael grinned, flopping down into a chair and grabbing the clipboard on the way.

Sydney proceeded to remove her clothes as Vaughn tried to concentrate on the sheet of paper rather than his undressing wife. He managed to restrain himself from asking if she needed help undoing her bra.

"Okay…ummm…are you currently on any medication?" he asked.

"Nope," she replied.

"Have you or anyone else in your family ever had any history of heart disease/cancer?"

"Nope," again.

"We're playing the _Have You Ever?_ game," he grinned over at her as she unfolded the cloth gown and shimmied into the thin, polk-a-dotted material.

"Just keep going, wise guy," she giggled and folded her clothes before setting them onto the counter in a neat pile.

"What was the date of your last menstrual period? Gross, we're skipping that one – I don't want to know," he growled and flipped the page over, scanning for questions he wanted to ask rather than follow the order.

"End of March, beginning of April," she answered anyway, seeing the grimace on his face as he wrote down the correct answer. There was a knock at the door then, the doctor smiling as she entered the exam room.

She was a middle aged woman, shot blonde hair – in fact, she sort of reminded him of Alice – though Vaughn wisely kept his mouth shut as she introduced herself as Dr. Carson, shaking both of their hands in greeting.

"So, is this your first?" Dr. Carson asked lightly, turning to wash her hands at the nearby sink.

"Yes, it is, we've got a four year old son we adopted, but this is _our_ first." Sydney explained, seeing the doctor nod as Vaughn set the clipboard down to pay attention to the conversation.

"Well, we've already got your urine sample back, and other than confirming that you _are_ indeed pregnant, which we already know, we can get started with the sonogram. Let me measure you first, can you lift up the gown?" she asked, helping Sydney stand as the doctor pulled out a roll of measuring tape while the mother-to-be bunched the cloth up under her breasts.

"So have you been having the usual? Morning sickness, some cramping at the beginning, tender breasts?"

"Yeah, pretty much. As much as I've read in books and online it seems that it's going pretty normal – so far," Sydney smiled as the doctor measured her waist and wrote the numbers down, asking her to sit back on the table next to a large machine.

"Well, you're about nineteen weeks along, which translated means about four months and two weeks, which I wouldn't have guessed that because you're a little bigger than other women your size so early in the pregnancy. Since you're so far into the pregnancy, we're going to have an ultrasound and a sonogram mixed into one with this little machine here," Dr. Carson patted the top of the device as Sydney reclined against the padded chair.

"We get to see the baby?" Vaughn asked, his voice squeaking lightly in his excitement. He blushed as Sydney laughed, taking his hand and pulling him closer.

Grabbing his chair and sliding it up against where his wife was relaxing, he couldn't wipe the grin off of his face as they watched with wide eyes as the physician hooked everything up and looked over at the expectant parents.

"Why don't you just turn that gown backwards, with the slit up the front? It'll make everything a bit easier so we won't have to fight constantly with it," she explained, Sydney sitting up and, with Vaughn's help, managed to turn it around without having to get off the table entirely.

"Here we go; ready?" she asked, seeing both of them nod avidly, and grabbed a bottle of gel, holding it over Sydney's stomach and squeezing a generous amount of the cold substance over her stomach. Lifting a small, handheld object that looked like a grocery store scanner to Vaughn, she set it on the small bulge and used it to rub the greenish-blue gel in circles.

Flipping on the machine, the first thing they saw was a fuzzy black screen with gray splotches. They both turned their head sideways to try and get a better grasp on the image, rotating to the left when their angle didn't reveal the hidden image of their child.

Turning on another switch, a small noise filled the air: a sporadic, rhythmic whumping sound.

"What the heck is that - your stomach growling? Because we just ate on the way," Vaughn joked as Sydney smacked his arm lightly.

"That's not her stomach; that would be the baby's heartbeat. There's something strange about it though…" Dr. Carson paused, rolling the scanner over Sydney's stomach as they tried desperately to see what the doctor was seeing.

"Good strange or bad strange?"

"Well…strange as in there's more than one heartbeat," she smiled over at the shocked couple seeing their eyes go wide as Sydney remained stunned while Vaughn broke out into a huge grin.

"We're having twins?!" he exclaimed, his hand tightening on Sydney's.

"Well…let me look around in here," she paused, the parents waiting with bated breath. "It may just be Sydney's heart we're hearing mixed in with the baby's. Usually when we're doing this the mother's pretty excited, and that makes her heart beat a little bit easier to hear through her stomach," she explained while searching, letting out a small laugh.

"Well, scratch that," she grinned. "I doubt your child has two left arms!"

"No way," Vaughn beamed, seeing Sydney's mouth slowly turn into a dimpled smile.

"Looks like twins to me. Would you like to know the sexes?" she asked, moving the round thing over Sydney's stomach some more in search of something neither one of them could see yet.

"What do you think? You want to know?" she smiled up at him.

"Nah, let's wait. It'll be more suspenseful," he grinned back, leaning in for a brief, chaste kiss before facing the doctor. "Can you tell us what we're looking at? Because, quite frankly, it looks like a bunch of black and gray fuzz to me," he squinted, as if that would help, and both women laughed.

"Well, here's Baby Number 1's arm here, and moving up you can see the little shoulder. Now, Baby Number 2 has his or her leg sticking up over here, and there you can see a cute little behind," she smiled, hearing Sydney's giggle and Michael's chuckle.

"Here's the head of…ummm…Baby Number 1, and it looks like they're gonna be a thumb sucker. Would you like a picture of that?"

"You can take pictures?" Syd asked with a grin, nodding her head quickly. "We'll take however many you'd like to hand out!"

"Okay then, we'll take a picture of this," pushing a button, a captured image stood up on the screen. Pressing another, the same image began to print out from the small specialized printer on the bottom shelf of the little cart.

"Here we go, looks like Baby Number 2 is using his sibling's toe as a pacifier," the doctor chuckled, seeing Vaughn and Sydney finally recognize the shapes on the screen.

After a little while of hide and seek with both children, and numerous pictures later, they were left alone in the small room with an antiseptic cloth to clean off Sydney's stomach. Sitting at the edge of the chair, her feet dangling over the side, Vaughn sat in the newly vacated doctor's chair and gently wiped the green gel off of their shared bundles of joy.

"I can't believe we're having twins," she grinned down at him, a light hand running through his hair as he meticulously made sure all of it was removed before placing two kisses to the bulge, one on each side.

"I wish Danny could have been here today," he mumbled, his happy mood dispersing slightly as he helped Sydney stand.

She nodded quietly and dressed as Vaughn handed her the neatly folded clothes. He couldn't contain his excitement and as they walked out of the office and collected their envelope full of scan-like photos. He practically skipped alongside a chuckling Sydney as he pulled out his car keys and unlocked her door.

"You do know that I still have no clue what the hell these blobs are, right?" she asked as they stopped in front of their house and patiently waited for the garage door to open.

"Well, we'll figure it out eventually. Come on, it's dinner time and we owe a little boy a visit." Vaughn patted her knee and closed the garage door behind the parked Suburban.

They walked into the cool house, Denver jumping happily around their legs, laughter erupting around the living room. Weiss and Nadia were engaged in a high stakes game of two-person-poker.

"Hey, guys," Nadia giggled, setting her cards down and walking into the kitchen to refill her water glass. "How did the appointment go?"

"Do I get another nephew?" Eric asked from the table as he reached over and lifted Nadia's cards, scanning her hand and turning to see his dark-eyed girlfriend glaring over at him with her hand on her hip.

"We don't know actually," Sydney grinned, setting her purse on the counter and meandering over to the table, opening the envelope.

Weiss gaped over at them like a fish out of water, sputtering noises coming from his throat. "You didn't find out?! All of the scheduling and waiting – the leading us on with your 'he/she' arguments, and you decide not to find out?"'

"Well, you're either gonna have a niece and a nephew, two nephews, or two nieces," Michael explained, a hint of extreme excitement in his voice as he burrowed into the fridge to reach the sodas in the back.

"You're having twins?" Nadia shrieked, hands in the air as she jumped with anticipation.

Sydney merely nodded, pulling out the pictures as everyone grouped behind her chair to look over her shoulder.

"Aww, look," Weiss grinned. "It's the little head," he cooed, everyone looking up at him, surprise written clearly on all of their faces. "What?"

"How the hell do you know that it's the head? Vaughn and I can't even read it," Sydney growled, setting the picture down on the table.

"Well, it's not that hard. Look," Eric explained, snaking an arm between the married couple, pointing to the largest gray splotch. "Here's the secret. You remember those magic eye thing that apparently no one but I can read? Well, it's kinda the same thing. Don't look _for_ the head, look _around_ the head," he pointed out with a smile.

"Ohhhhhh," the three other occupants said at the same time, finally seeing the image of the babies on the still photo.

"Wait, how do you know this?" Nadia looked over, the question taking the gloating man by surprise.

"Well…I mean – my sister has a baby, and I sorta got into it. Her husband ran out on her when they found out they were pregnant, so I went to every doctor's appointment she had."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Nadia cooed at him. "Remind me, when I get married and my husband leaves me when I'm pregnant, to bring you along instead."

Eric made a face at her, turning and walking away, leaving the others standing and staring in awe at his previously unknown baby-identifying abilities.

* * *

"Daddy," the small voice called out into the night, the attentive father jumping from his half-asleep perch in the chair next to the bed.

"Shh, Danny, I'm right here," Vaughn called, sitting quickly on the edge of the bed and taking the struggling child's hand gently, trying to wake him. "Wake up, pal."

Sydney joined him on the other side of the bed, running a protective hand through Daniel's sweaty hair.

His eyes opened, wild and flashing, and Sydney kept her fingers moving as they watched him trying to focus and adjust to his surroundings.

"Mommy," he sobbed, reaching out instantly for Sydney as she leaned over and set her lips against his forehead. He wrapped tube-laden arms around her neck, burying his face into her chest.

She rubbed his back as he eventually calmed down, his small body going limp from his exertions. She placed him back against the center of his pillow and cupped his face with both hands, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"It's okay, sweetie, we're both here. You're fine," she flashed him a bright dimpled smile, leaning over and increasing his oxygen slightly as the nurses had shown both her and Vaughn, his heavy breathing settling minutely.

"Firsty," he muttered, pointing over at the clear cup of water sitting on the tray at the end of the bed.

Michael reached out and lifted the glass to his son's parched lips, "Easy, buddy, just a little bit," he pulled the cup away, ignoring Danny's protests with a small, apologetic smile.

"How are you feeling?" Sydney asked, turning on the small overhead lamp on the end table beside the bed, illuminating the room.

Danny squinted against the onslaught of light, his eyes eventually adjusting. "Hi, daddy," he smiled a bright smile, looking up at his father with adoring green eyes.

"Hi, big guy,"

"Missed you," Danny stated, reaching out and taking his father's finger in his hand and holding tight.

"I missed you too, buddy, so much." Vaughn smiled, Sydney's eyes welling at the scene.

"You home for always?"

"Yep. For always and forever," he smiled, kissing Danny's forehead once more before settling back against the headboard beside him. Danny cuddled into his side, reaching out for Sydney and tugging her into the same position on his adjacent side.

They sat, nestled together, as the little boy fell into a more contented slumber with both parents cradling him. An air of silence descended, though neither adults minded as Sydney felt their little bundle of joy, well – bundles of joy – kick at her stomach. Laying a hand over the spot where the activity was occurring, Vaughn looked from Danny over to her with a small smile.

"We need to think about names," he commented quietly.

"Well, we can pick two of each and just be surprised when they come out," she responded, her voice equally as low to make sure little Danny stayed asleep.

Vaughn nodded, thinking for a moment before looking over at her with his trademark lopsided grin, though there was a small hint of sadness in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she called his emotion, seeing a veil of amazement shining back at her. "C'mon, Vaughn, I know how to read you. What's on your mind?"

"My mom," he whispered, looking down at Danny then over to their clutched hands in his lap – tiny vs. large.

"What about your mom? You did tell her you were coming out here, didn't you?"

"Not really, she doesn't even know that you moved out here at all. She's back in France with my aunt, taking care of her in the whole next of kin thing." he explained, seeing Sydney's shocked face.

"Does she know I'm pregnant?"

He just shook his head, fixing her with a small smile. "I really can't contact her at all," he muttered.

"Can't or shouldn't?" she interrupted, hearing his soft chuckle.

"Probably shouldn't, but that doesn't mean I probably won't," with a sigh he moved a bit, keeping an eye on Danny and making sure he was still sleeping comfortably before continuing. "It's just that – everything with your dad has made me realize how much I've missed her. I used to visit at least a couple times a month, but I've barely called her three times since the wedding."

"You've been busy-"

"No, that shouldn't ever be an excuse. I don't know," he grumbled, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. He didn't reopen them until he felt Sydney's fingers pressing at the wrinkles of his forehead.

"Why don't you call her right now? It's a neutral location, and I doubt you can retrace a call to a specific room," she suggested with a small wiggle of her eyebrows and stood, kissing his forehead and leaving the room. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I wanna call and remind Weiss to feed Denver."

He sat and stared at the phone for a few moments before disentangling one arm from his son's side and reached out for the receiver. It rang a couple times before a cheery voice answered.

"Bonjour?"

"Hi, maman," he mentally cursed himself for sounding like a broken, lost little boy, but in a situation like this he couldn't help it.

"Michel, dearie, it's been far too long since you've called your mother," she grumbled, her French accent shining through, making him smile.

He crossed his ankles and resumed his spot next to Danny as he talked. "I know, and for that I'm sorry, maman. Things have been pretty hectic out here in Denver," he began to explain.

"Denver? As in Colorado? Mon cheri, what on earth are you doing in Denver? They don't have you and Sydney on a dreadful assignment, do they, because you have a son back in L.A. that doesn't deserve that kind of life," she scolded, Michael laughing into the earpiece quietly.

"No, no, maman, it's nothing like that. This is going to be hard to grasp, not that you won't enjoy the news, but Sydney and I are out," he explained.

"Permanently?" her voice was an excited squeak.

"Oui, maman, permanently. We live in Denver now," he smiled.

"Oh, Michel, you have no idea how happy that makes me. Does this mean I'll be getting more grandchildren in the future?"

"Well, it's kind of a funny story-" he started, only to be interrupted by the older woman's excited chatter.

"She's already expecting, I know. I was kindly informed by Jack Bristow over an e-mail. Why did you not tell me, mon cheri?"

"It wasn't like I kept this a secret from you just for the hell of it, I had to. Sydney and I leaving the CIA was something the needed to be incredibly secretive. But that doesn't mean I haven't felt anything but guilt for not calling you the moment I found out about her being pregnant," he frowned, Sydney reentering the room and seeing his demeanor.

"Want me to go?" she mouthed with a half-whisper, moving deeper into the room at the shake of his head.

"Yes, maman, I understand that you're upset we didn't tell you, but can I say something to try and get you off of the rant-train?" he asked, hearing a pause on his mother's side of the phone. "We're having twins!"

The shriek made him jump and nearly drop the phone on his slumbering son's forehead, but he kept a hold of it despite the loud yelling on the other end.

"Mad?" Sydney guessed, seeing Vaughn shrug his shoulders.

"Dunno," he replied.

"Sad?" another shrug.

"I think she's crying – maman? You okay?" he asked, hearing the joyful sobs over the phone.

"I don't care what rules you're having to follow, young man, I **will**be coming in to town for the birth of my **two** new grandchildren," she ordered in a watery voice with a sniffle. "Twins run in the family, you know," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Really? Who in the family are twins?"

"Gertrude and Gladys, ummm, Trudy and Terence," she thought out loud.

"Why so they all start with the same letter? Pretty confusing," Michael grumbled, feeling Danny's hand clutch his fingers as he shifted in his sleep, a faint flickering of pain crossing his face, though it was gone as he set his cheek against Vaughn's arm.

"Don't start, Michael Christophe Vaughn," she growled, hearing her son's chuckle. "I heard about Jack, pass my condolences to Sydney," she deftly changed the subject.

"I will," he smiled, winking over at his wife as she curled up with Daniel once more, her hands threading through his hair.

"How is my little Daniel?"

"Well, he's seen better days," Michael commented, his mother immediately hearing the seriousness in his voice. "He's in the hospital. The doctor found a tumor on his lung, and though it didn't turn out to be cancerous, it _was_ obstructing his breathing. He's been at Children's Hospital for a little over a week now."

"Oh, poor little angel, he's such a sweet boy. Michel, I have to run. Trish needs her breakfast. Pass my love to Sydney and Danny, and give those twins a pat for me. I love you, Michel."

"I love you too, maman. Au-revoir," he smiled as the phone clicked in his ear, and only then did he place the receiver back on its base.

"How's your mom?" Sydney asked with a quiet smile, a yawn breaking her face.

"Good. She was a little angry at me for not keeping her informed, but if there's anyone other than us that know about the rules of classified information, it'd be her. C'mon, let's go home. It's been a long day," he extracted his body from next to Danny's, the boy waking with the loss of Vaughn and Sydney's warm bodies nestled into his own.

"We go home?" he reached out, both parents instantly by his side.

"Well, mommy and I are going to go home, yes, but you have to stay here for a little bit longer."

"Why, I want to go home," tears filled his eyes as he reached out for them both, a sudden pain in his chest making him wince and let out a squeaky groan.

Sydney quickly sat back down next to him, calming him with her presence. "Baby, you're very sick still, and the doctors – they need you to stay here for a few more nights just to keep you safe," she tried to explain, seeing in his face that he didn't understand.

"Don't you want me?" he sobbed, seeing his daddy sit beside him once more.

"Of course, Danny. There's nothing I want more than to have you come home and play with me and Denver, but you can't do that yet. There're rules that we need to follow, pal, and I'm sorry, but you have to stay here." He was stern yet loving as he traced a finger over the child's cheek, catching the tears. "But we're gonna come tomorrow to see you," he tried to coax a smile from his son.

"Every tomorrow 'till I get to go home?" he'd calmed down a bit, still snuggling into Sydney's chest and clinging to Vaughn's finger.

"I promise," Michael swore.

"Cross your heart?" Danny countered, seeing his father lift his hand and make a cross-like symbol over his chest.

"Cross my heart. We'll stay until you go to sleep, okay?"

Danny nodded, and it wasn't too long until he was out. Sydney pulled away with Vaughn's help and they proceeded to leave the hospital, waving at the staff as they left.

"I just wanna curl up in bed and sleep for a month," Syd grinned and stretched, snuggling down into the car's comfy seat. "If I fall asleep, will you carry me in?" she asked quietly, Vaughn smiling over at her as she closed her eyes.

"Of course," he promised, pulling the car out of the hospital parking lot.

The drive home was quiet, merely because Sydney had fallen asleep, and though he was tired, Michael couldn't help but shiver with repressed excitement. Pulling up to the house and leaving the car in the driveway, he turned to look over at his sleeping wife.

Yes, while his life wasn't exactly a perfect one, or even one that any average person would wish themselves into the middle of, it was his; she was his. He stepped out of the car and over to the passenger side, opening the door quietly. Unbuckling and lifting his sleeping Sydney into his arms, fumbling for the key in his pocket once they reached the front door, they were greeted by a cool breeze from the interior of the house.

Denver raced over, stopping only when Vaughn held his hand up, a treat tucked between his thumb and forefinger.

"Sit," Michael whispered, Denver complying by laying onto his stomach and looking up at him with a cute mugged puppy face. "Good enough," he laughed, tossing the small bone shaped goodie over as Denver attacked it.

Carrying Sydney upstairs, he set her gently onto the bed, startling her long enough for her to wake up.

"We home?" she muttered, making him look up from his task of undoing her trousers and slipping them down her long legs. With the flip-flops left in the car, there wasn't any resistance and they slid right off of her feet.

"Yeah, you go back to sleep sweetie. I think I'm gonna take Denver out for a run, he hasn't been outside all day," he smiled and gently leaned over to brush a kiss over her forehead.

"kay," she sighed, snuggling into the pillows as he tossed the comforter over her bare legs, tucking her in.

She was asleep by the time he was done, and he quickly changed from his jeans and button-up shirt into a tank top and a pair of running pants. Grabbing a pair of socks from his drawer he jogged down the steps to see Denver sitting at the front door with leash in his mouth, the other end still hanging from the coat rack on the wall.

"Come on pal, let's go for a run," he laughed as the dog jumped up and down, attacking him with a long, wet tongue as he sat onto the couch to put on his shoes and socks. "Easy, let me get these on," he ordered, shoving the large runt away with an arm and lacing them up.

After catching Denver when he bolted from the door the minute it opened, he managed to get the leash on him and stretch a moment before beginning his jog. He'd made it around the block three times before stopping in front of the house, the dog panting as he stood next to his master.

"You make good time, Agent Vaughn," a woman's voice from behind him made his turn quickly, Denver's growl piercing the air. "Keep calm, I'm only checking in on Sydney,"

"Well that's not your job. How the hell did you find us?" he snarled, keeping Denver back unless the woman overstepped her bounds.

"You're still using your own names, it wasn't too hard. And it won't be hard for Anderson to find you either," she warned, her tone turning icy. "You should have stayed in L.A. and made sure they were behind bars before returning,"

"Wait, why would the Anderson's be looking for us? As far as he knows, we don't even exist." Vaughn asked, his curiosity peaked.

"He knows of Daniel and will come for him. This is the only warning you'll be getting, Agent Vaughn, I sincerely hope that you'll take into serious consideration the risks I'm taking to inform you."

"Why should I listen to or believe anything you have to say?"

She moved back toward a black sedan, opening the passenger side door before turning and fixing a compassionate stare on the young man.

"Because she's my daughter, and despite everything I've done and what she thinks, I love her."

* * *


	33. Chapter 33: Home Sweet Home?

Chapter 33: Home Sweet Home?

* * *

"Weiss," Vaughn called into the dark guest room. "Weiss-"

"What…" the voice was muffled as Eric buried his face farther into his pillow. "C'mere," Michael grunted and walked from the room quickly. Trudging down the steps, his fatigue was beginning to set in. Ignoring the sleep tugging at his eyes, he flopped down at the kitchen table with a pad of paper, notes scribbled on every inch.

"I hope you realize that I have a flight to catch tomorrow at eight in the morning," Weiss growled as he stalked into the brightly lit kitchen and went straight to the coffee maker. "Awww…" he grumbled, lifting up the glass carafe and seeing nothing but air inside. "Not even any coffee – this had better be good, man."

"I just had a chat with Irina Derevko," Vaughn stated flatly, seeing his friend's eyes open as he sat across from his frazzled companion. "Not that it surprises me at all, consider who she is, but how the hell does she know where you and Syd are?" Eric's voice lowered to Vaughn's level, looking up at the stairs half expecting to see both sisters standing with their hands on their hips waiting for an explanation.

"I don't know," he looked back down to his chicken-scratch writing scrawled on the paper. "She said she just wanted to check in on Sydney, and that since it was so easy for her to find us, Anderson wouldn't have the same problem. You told me when you got into town that Anderson was being taken care of!"

"Whoa, whoa, I said we were _**taking care**_** of it**. Big difference," Weiss defended his actions, looking defiantly into Michael's fiery green eyes.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You wanna be quiet? I'd very much like to not have Syd and Nadi kick my ass, which you know is exactly what's gonna happen when they find out. Why are you talking to me instead of Syd?" Eric questioned, pointing to the upper level of the house where both girls were sleeping soundly.

"Because I don't want to wake her up. Besides, you were my partner in this whole damn thing," Vaughn retorted.

"So?" Weiss countered, seeing Vaughn glare over at him. "Look, I don't want to keep this from her, but we're going to until morning. You might have one more on the plane tomorrow."

"Wait, you're going back to L.A.? They dismissed you, though. You're out. You're home," Weiss reminded the former agent. Despite the happiness Weiss was feeling with the knowledge that his friend may be returning with them, he couldn't help but think that Danny and Sydney were being cheated. Sydney especially. She'd wanted nothing but to be out of this life for the last two years at least.

"Wait, Mike, you can't do this. You can't just leave Syd and Dan alone again!"

"Hey, it's not like I want to leave them again, but if Anderson is planning something then I just need to know" Vaughn interjected, hearing footsteps coming down the stairs. Sitting up quickly, he recognized Sydney's slightly round form come around the corner.

"Hey," she smiled, though her eyes showed a small frown. "What're you guys doin' up?" she asked quietly, passing the table and going directly to the medicine cabinet.

"Just looking over a few things before Weiss heads out tomorrow," Vaughn lied through his teeth, seeing the glare Eric was shooting in his direction.

"That's all? It could've waited until tomorrow, we are taking them to the airport," she mumbled, popping a couple Tylenol and drinking them down with a half-full glass of water.

Michael winced as Weiss kicked him under the table, the gesture not going unnoticed by Sydney. "What's goin' on?" she asked, her agent-mode persona slipping out.

"I just had a conversation with your mother," Vaughn admitted, seeing her eyes go wide. "I was out on my run and she just appeared."

"What did she want?" her voice, while sounding completely surprised, seemed hopeful. "How did she find us?"

"She said she just wanted to check up on you."

"Why? She doesn't do anything without good reason, Vaughn - you know that. You're keeping something from me," she deadpanned, her eyes narrowing slightly as Michael looked down at the table.

"She said she wanted to warn us. That if it was so easy for her to find out where we live, Anderson wouldn't have any trouble either."

"I thought you said the Andersons were taken care of," she growled, her fixed gaze moving back and forth between Vaughn and Weiss.

"Damnit, doesn't anyone listen to a damn thing I say any more? No – I didn't say that they were taken care of; I said we were _**taking care**_** of it**. Huge difference," Eric defended himself again, standing and throwing together a pot of coffee. "You shouldn't be mad at me, it's Vaughn who wants to go back to APO," he ratted, seeing the shocked look Sydney's face before skirting away from the death-glare that his best friend was sending his way.

"But…but you're home now," she stuttered, Michael standing and moving over to her. "Syd, if Anderson is gonna be a threat to you and Danny, I have to do something about it."

"No, you don't. God, Vaughn, APO has the whole office looking for them, just let it go," she ordered, meeting his eyes.

She pulled back to search his face, finding her answer as tears spilled over her cheeks. "You're leaving," her single strangled sentence filling the thick air as Michael turned away, unable to meet her gaze. Stalking past him she picked up his jacket and pushed it into his chest.

"Syd, what the hell, look – let's just talk-" he fumbled as she kicked him his shoes.

"No. You're not waiting on me to make this decision, which has become abundantly clear - so I'm not gonna try and stop you. If you want to find them this badly, then go. But there is no way in hell that I'm gonna let you leave without explaining everything to Danny." At the mention of his son he stopped short, fisting the jacket as it hung limply at his side.

"Michael, you promised him-"

"I can't just sit here and wait for something to happen. I've never been able to do that Sydney," he interrupted quickly, his anger and frustration building.

"Neither have I, but this isn't our fight any more, Vaughn!" she shouted, seeing a frown mar his face as well as the dozen or so extra wrinkles pop out on his forehead.

"How the hell can you say that? Danny's in the hospital fighting a disease that he wasn't even supposed to have! Don't you want something done about that?"

"Don't you dare go there, Michael Vaughn, this has nothing to do with Danny's situation anymore. Admit it; you're too scared to leave everything behind! Without Danny we wouldn't even **be** here!"

"Whoa, what the hell does that mean? Without Danny you wouldn't have married me?"

"Probably not," she growled, seeing the hurt echo from his green eyes. "Wait, that's not what I meant-"

"No, I think that's exactly what you meant," he snarled sliding his feet into his flip-flops with barely contained anger.

"No, hold on – what I wanted to say was that if it weren't for Danny, you and I probably wouldn't have gotten married so soon. That's all I meant," she pleaded with him to understand.

"Do you regret it?" he asked, sliding his arms into his jacket before stopping and looking directly over at her.

"Regret what?" she looked back over at him with hopeful yet sad eyes.

"Regret getting married and leaving everything behind?"

"Do you?" turning the tables, he opened his mouth to quickly deny it, but when his brain didn't cooperate with his vocal chords, he closed his gaping lips quickly. Leaving the question hanging in the air he grabbed his keys out of the metal bowl and left the house.

Tears quickly falling, Sydney turned and flopped onto the soft cushions of the couch. Burying her face into her hands, Eric sagged against the counter in the kitchen, Nadia turning the corner with a questioning look on her face. "What did you do?" she asked, though jokingly, her demeanor was serious.

"Nothing," Weiss defended, handing her the cup of coffee and leaving the kitchen. Maneuvering from the dining room into the living room, he sat down next to the sobbing young woman before setting a hand to her shoulder and pulling her against his chest.

"Syd, he just needs some time. I mean a surprise visit from your mother probably wasn't the best thing for his psyche," she merely nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes with a small, weak smile, pulling away from him. "Just like old times, huh? You and me, cryin' on a couch because of Vaughn."

"It's not just Vaughn," she muttered, looking up at the ceiling as Nadia brought her a box of Kleenex from the kitchen. "Thanks – it's just everything. I understand him more than he lets on," she grumbled, blowing her nose quietly as Eric jumped to defend his friend. "I know he doesn't regret moving on, but it's been hard for him to leave the CIA."

"It's been hard for me too, Eric," she conceded, seeing the surprise etched on his face. "Don't look at me like that. I know I've always said that I wanted nothing more than to leave it all. And I have, at certain points of my life, but I miss it. I feel so guilty over my dad's death, and if I had still been an agent I would have seen how sick he was. I could have done something about it."

"Well, that's what Vaughn's going through. He sees Danny so sick and hears about the people that made it happen," Nadia interjected, kneeling in front of her hormonal sister with her hands on her knees. "Michael just wants to have that gut feeling of satisfaction that he's done everything for his family to keep them safe."

"Don't worry about Mike, you guys'll be find by tomorrow. You've had worse fights than this one, believe me I know that for a fact," Eric grinned, Sydney punching him in the arm as Nadia smacked his knee. "Hey, none of the teaming up thing."

"C'mon, let's go back to bed," Syd grinned, though her eyes were still haunted by the looming argument between her and Vaughn.

* * *

_'What if Sydney's right? What if I do regret leaving the CIA as quickly as I did? I mean, I can't really justify that I hate living here in Colorado, but still. It was kind of a shocking revelation. I know in my heart that I love my wife, but sometimes – well, she can be a bit stubborn. We'll leave it at that,'_ Vaughn thought.

_'Then comes the guilt…my old friend. Guilt for deciding that a manhunt takes precedence over my family. Guilt for arguing with Sydney about a decision that should be so simple. Do I leave her, Danny and the twins behind to lead a miserable life in L.A.? Or do I stay here and trust that Weiss and APO will effectively put the enemy behind bars?'_ Vaughn wondered.

_'Pete has swept the floors; he's such a nice guy. Always bringing Sydney a flower as she sits in Danny's room. For a young man with a mental illness, he's surprisingly adept and can hold a conversation. He loves puppies, which we found out when bringing Denver in to see Danny.'_

"Mr. Vaughn!" he called, catching the former agent's attention pretty quickly since there really weren't too many people in the wing at 3:41 in the morning.

"Hey, Pete, how are you?" Vaughn asked, though it's really just for show since he'd really prefer to be alone to sit and think. Reaching into his coveralls pocket, Pete pulled out another small flower, and Vaughn realized that he hadn't seen him at all yesterday.

"For Syndi," he smiled his lopsided grin as the nurse sitting at the desk reminds him to finish sweeping the floor.

He walked away, picking up the broom and continuing his work. Tucking the flower into the pocket of his own jacket, Vaughn walked the familiar halls toward Danny's room. _'I think Pete's the only man alive that can get away with having a crush on my wife without me getting jealous,'_ Vaughn mused to himself.

A nurse's voice drifted down the hall at that moment.

"Daniel, you shouldn't be up watching TV. You need rest."

"I'm not tired," his little defiant voice echoed over to his dad, who couldn't help but grin.

"What would your mother say?" the caregiver asked, walking back into the room and sitting beside him, and Vaughn followed quietly to stand outside the doorway. She's been the family's favorite nurse through all of Danny's comings and goings at all the different hospitals. But that's probably why she works with kids.

_'Nurse Gilmore - Syd and I haven't actually asked what her first name is, I suppose we should do that,'_ Vaughn admitted to himself.

"Mommy would let me," the boy smiled shyly, looking down as she tilted his bed up. "Will you read to me?"

"Well, I can't right now, but how about tomorrow?"

"Real quick?" Michael knew his son had pulled out the puppy eyes to convince the nurse to give in to his request.

"Well…I do need to take some blood, I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend a few more minutes with you," she agreed finally.

_'Take some blood?'_ Vaughn wondered what she meant by that. The small sick boy gets blood work done on Mondays to make sure he's recovering, but it's Wednesday. Vaughn's curiosity is piqued.

"You do that lots," Danny grumbled, and his dad heard the quick, painful intake of breath

"Well, we just want to make sure there isn't anything bad floating around inside you. Gotta make sure you're a healthy little guy," the nurse replied cheerfully.

Vaughn knocked twice on the door, seeing Danny's eyes light up as he fixed his father with a huge grin. For the moment, the fight between Sydney and Michael doesn't seem so dark.

"Mr. Vaughn, it's after visiting hours," Nurse Gilmore glared, though a smile still graced her lips.

"I know, but I couldn't sleep and there really isn't anywhere I'd rather be," Vaughn entered the room as she pressed cotton to Danny's newest wound.

"Well, keep in mind that this young man needs sleep," she ordered, skirting out of the room as Vaughn took a seat beside his smiling little boy.

"You don't seem tired to me," he winked, seeing Danny reach out for him. Complying, he moved up to the bed and put an arm around the smiling child. "I won't tell if you won't."

"Promise!" he giggled, snuggling closer to Vaughn's side. "Where's Mommy?"

"Well, Mommy and I had a fight, so I came over here to hang out with you."

"Is Mommy okay?" he asked, and Vaughn realized that, to Danny, a fight meant that someone got hurt.

Vaughn chuckled, his body shaking the small bed. "Danny, I would never hit you or your mom, you know that. We just argued and I left so we could both have some time to think about our feelings."

"Argooed?"

"Umm…well – we just yelled at each other a little bit cuz we're mad."

"Oh," he paused, looking down at his lap before peering back up at his father. "I like having you here, Daddy, Mommy missed you. Now you're making her happy," he kissed his father's arm, cuddling back into his side.

"Well, I missed you too pal," Vaughn ruffled his son's hair.

"Wanna play a game?"

"Sure," he grinned, seeing Danny's attentive green eyes searching the room.

"I spy, wif my eye, something that's blue," he finished triumphantly, looking expectantly up at Vaughn.

"Blue, huh?" Vaughn immediately noticed a large blue dinosaur sitting on top of the small nightstand, but he bypassed it with his eyes and continued searching. "Is it the cup of water over there?" he asked, pointing to a light blue plastic cup.

"Nope!"

"Hmmm…well, what about that pencil on the table?"

"No way!" Danny giggled, his gaze continuously flitting over to the object Vaughn was 'looking' for. "C'mon, daddy, it's easy! What's my favorite thing ever?"

"Oh! It's that book sitting over there, isn't it?"

"Dad!"

"Fine, okay, fine, is it this brontosaurus?" Michael asked, grabbing the dinosaur and having it walk on the comforter until it got to his son's fingers, pretending to have it nibble on them.

"No, daddy, 'member? The long-neck is a bervibore!"

"A herbivore?"

"Yeah. He only eats salad," Danny explained, reaching over with a small wince to grab the t-rex under his pillow. "But this guy - he's a bad guy. He loves to eat all sorts-a dinosaurs! Big and small, he chomps them wif these big pointy teeth!" He continued his lesson, Vaughn playing along and letting the poor blue brontosaurus get eaten by the red t-rex.

"I'm happy you're home, Daddy," Danny commented again as the two of the lapsed into silence, the little boy's eyes growing heavy as he struggled to stay awake.

"Me too, pal, but I might have to go back for a little while," Vaughn tested the waters, seeing his son's eyes fly open.

"No, you promised," he sobbed, tears springing instantaneously to his eyes. "Daddy, you crossed the heart!"

"I know, buddy, but I just got some work to do with the people that hurt you, and I need to go catch them with Uncle Eric," Vaughn tried to explain.

"Why?" he asked, the saline drops freely falling down his cheeks.

"Because they're bad people, and they need to go away forever." Trying to soothe the child, he scooted up on the bed to pull him closer.

"You broke your promise!" Danny growled, pushing with all of his might against his father's sturdy body. "Go away!" he shouted, the nurses standing and looking over the counter toward the outburst in Danny's room.

"Wait – Danny, just let me tell you why I have to leave." Vaughn tried to justify his leaving with a good excuse, but failed miserably when small sobs overtook Danny's little body.

"I don't want you to be my daddy any more!" he shouted, covering his eyes with tiny tube laden hands, refusing to listen to his father. "Go away and never come home!" he yelled as he cried, huge wracks shaking his frail body.

Vaughn sat stunned, at a complete loss of how to handle the situation. Standing and picking up his jacket, he leaned over and placed a small kiss to his son's forehead. Danny jerked away, a small moan coming from his throat as he curled up on the bed as far away from Michael as he could get.

Turning and leaving the room, he caught the baleful glares from the women as Nurse Gilmore rushed into the boy's room to calm him down. Thinking twice about offering any details, he just walked from the hospital, his heart forming a tight lump at the back of his throat.

Mutely, he jumped back into his car and headed home. Only in the safety of the driver's seat did he let loose the tears that had flooded his vision. Parked in the driveway, he let his confusion, anger, and frustration out against the steering wheel. Finding enough energy, he opened the car door and trudged inside. Closing the door behind him, he had an overwhelming urge to pull Sydney close and promise he'd never leave, but his hopes were crushed when he walked up to their bedroom and found the door locked.

"Syd? Sydney?" he called, quietly knocking on the door. He heard her get up from the bed and pad over to the door, the click of the lock as it disengaged seeming so loud in the serene hallway.

He barely had a moment to say anything as a pillow hit him in the face – followed by a blanket – and he quickly realized that he'd be sleeping on the couch for what was left of the night. With a small groan he turned and trudged back down the stairs to the couch, throwing the pillow against the arm and falling into the makeshift bed.

Two hours later, the sun peeking over the horizon and turning the living room a soft shade of yellow and orange, he had managed to find no sleep. Guilty thoughts were drifting through his head, and all he longed to do with every fiber of his being was to call out to his wife and explain his apprehension to her.

"Maybe it _is_ a good idea to go back," he mumbled to himself, jumping when someone answered.

"I think that if you go back you're gonna regret it," a voice intones.

He craned is neck toward the stairs, seeing Nadia standing at the bottom with her arms crossed over her stomach.

"I just can't sit, Nadia, I've never been able to do that. Sydney hasn't either, I don't really know why she's being so stubborn," he growled and pushed himself up into an awkward sitting position.

"Coffee?" she asked, ignoring his statement as she moved into the kitchen, hearing his follow slowly.

"Come on, Nadi, you've helped me through so much while she was away – sorting through what's going on in my head," he paused, falling into one of the large stools and using both hands to prop his heavy head up. "What should I do?"

"I can't answer that," she stated simply, pouring two cups of coffee and thanking Sydney in her mind that she'd set the pot to start on its own.

"Why?" he was almost desperate; that mixed with a night of too much emotional stress and trauma pushing him closer to the breaking point. "I don't wanna lose Syd and Danny, but I can't risk them getting hurt because I didn't follow through with the Anderson's. If something happens to them…" he left off, taking a tentative sip of the hot beverage in his hands.

"Well, if you think that finding the bad guys takes place over your family, then you should go back and finish what you didn't start. If you think that you're through and would rather let Eric and me take care of everything, then you should stay. Keep in mind that you've actually been dismissed," she said pointedly.

"Yeah, but you don't actually think that after I've informed the CIA _and_ APO that I came into contact with Irina Derevko that they'd just let me walk away without giving them something do you? Come on, Nadi," he pleaded.

"Michael," she started, setting the coffee cup down and staring straight into his eyes from across the counter. "I think that you wanting to finish the Anderson job is great. Says something about your character and how much you're willing to sacrifice to keep your family safe. But – at the same time – I can't help but think that you leaving my sister to raise three children by herself is selfish."

"Who says I won't be coming back?"

"Who says that you will? I don't want to be the one to tell Sydney that you were killed in action. She deserves a life, Vaughn; a chance at something normal. She's told me all about it. Believe me," she paused, lifting her mug and taking a long sip before hearing a few grumbles and a series of loud thumps down the stairs. "You'll be missing out on _everything_ if you go."

"Hey, guys," Weiss grunted into the kitchen, laying a hand on Vaughn's shoulder briefly before kissing Nadia on the forehead. "You two okay?"

"Yeah," they spoke at the same time, a silent understanding filling the air of the kitchen.

"Sydney up yet?" Vaughn asked, looking over at the two of them.

"Nah, and last I checked the door was still locked. Sorry, buddy," Eric sent him an apologetic glance for his actions last night; Michael could tell that he wasn't sorry for telling Sydney the truth, merely for the way it came out.

He nodded and stood, grabbing an extra cup of coffee before making his way upstairs. Leaning his ear against the door he could hear a faint noise coming from the bathroom and realized that her morning sickness must have hit. This was the first time since he'd been back that she'd gone through it alone.

He was always right behind her, kneeling and supporting her body, his hands holding her long chestnut hair away from her face as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Morning, noon, or night, he was there for her.

"Syd, please let me in, I think we need to talk about last night," he spoke through the door.

He barely made out the words 'bite me' through the doorway before another series of vomiting filled the air. Reaching into his pocket for his wallet, he fished until he found the simple lock-picking device. Inserting it quickly, he heard the satisfying click as he pocketed the small tools and lifted the two steaming cups of coffee off of the floor. Trudging into the room, he left them sitting on the nightstand and made his way into the bathroom.

Sydney sat with her forehead resting against the seat, hands pressing into the floor as her knees dug into the tiles where the mat had slipped away from the bowl. She barely acknowledged his presence as he turned on the faucet, grabbing a washcloth from the linen closet while it got warm. Not too cold – not too hot – he patiently wet the material and turned it to ice cold in order to fill the glass that held its own spot beside the sink.

Filling it, he set it on the edge of the counter before turning and looking down at his very pale wife. Another bout hit her as she leaned forward to retch into the already tainted water, the vein popping out on her forehead at the strain.

He walked behind her and kneelt into his usual position. His hands found their way around her waist to rub gently at the roundness of her stomach as he pulled her against his chest. Her arms gave out and she relied completely on him for support as she finished. He set the cloth to wipe her mouth and chin, turning it inside out before setting it to her forehead, and leaned back on his heels. She reclined against his back, her body heavy as she sniffed against her runny nose and turned to push her face into his throat.

"I hate it when we fight," he heard her murmur and his grip on her tightened slightly.

"Me too," he allowed. "Especially when it's my fault."

"Yeah, I guess I hate it less when I'm right," she conceded.

Michael chuckled as he moved a bit to the right and lifted her up with strong arms. Carrying her back to the bed and setting her against the soft pillows, he smiled as she reached out for him even though her eyes were closed.

Crawling into bed beside her he realized just how tired he was. He probably hadn't slept for nearly 28 hours, and that was far too long in his book. Burying his face into her neck and breathing deep her scent, his body began to shut down.

"Are you staying?" her small question filled the air as his hand came up to rest against her lumpy stomach.

"Mmhmm," he mumbled, half asleep.

She didn't comment, merely slipping her fingers through his above their concealed children, setting a kiss to his nose, and drifting back to sleep in his arms.

* * *


	34. Chapter 34: There's No Place Like Home

Chapter 34: There's No Place Like Home…

* * *

_Nadia & Eric,_

_It's been three months since I last saw you, and I have to admit that I miss you and Eric so much that it hurts. We've got friends out here, but it's just not the same. In any case, Danny's doing so much better! The scar on his chest is still a little ominous, but we're working with him on that. In fact, the other day – Vaughn painted a replica scar on his own chest so Danny wouldn't be afraid to go swimming with his friends._

_It's surprising how self-conscious a four (almost five-year-old) can be! Yet, I do say that with a small amount of chagrin, because I'm pretty self-conscious myself. Carrying one baby makes you fat enough, but carrying two?_

_Everything's healthy, and no Eric (since I know you're leaning over Nadi's shoulder to read this letter) we still haven't found out what they are yet. You've only got two more months to wait anyway. Michael almost broke at the appointment last week and asked. Danny asked us what he was going to have, brothers or sisters, and Vaughn almost didn't have the heart to tell him that we just weren't sure yet._

_I managed to persuade him otherwise._

_Vaughn's done well with the job hunt. He's found a place coaching a mini-league hockey team. He loves it, though I really don't have to tell you that. It's only a matter of time before Danny's old enough (and healthy enough) to play on his Daddy's team, and for that we're pretty thankful._

_Speaking of giving thanks, we're inviting you and Eric out here for Thanksgiving, if you think you'll be able to arrange it. I know all about red-tape, so I understand if you can't, but Danny's been talking non-stop about how he can beat Uncle Eric in a pumpkin pie eating contest that it's been on my mind all month._

_And…I know I can really use another pair of hands in the kitchen getting everything ready. I've already got a turkey in my stomach – essentially the size of the massive growth on my waist – I don't really want to molest another by myself; what with the stuffing, pulling out and lifting. _

_Write back if you can, and if not, we can handle e-mail._

_All our love,_

_Sydney, Michael and Danny._

"Wait, mommy, you forgot the twins!" Danny called out from his spot at the kitchen table, a half-colored dinosaur picture sitting in front of him. "We put our names on, why not them? And why did you write Daddy's? Can't he do his own?"

"Sweetie, it's pretty tough for the twins to do that from inside mommy's stomach. Why don't you do it for them? And I just put Daddy's name with mine, but when he gets home you can ask him if it's okay." Sydney smiled back over at him from the stove as she stirred the chili in the large pot.

As if on cue, the front door opened and Vaughn walked in. She heard the thump of his sports bag on the wooden floor of the entry way, and the following two thuds of his shoes being kicked aside.

"It smells so good in here, I can almost taste dinner," he called out, Danny flashing him a dimpled smile before concentrating on signing the card for the two unborn additions to the family.

"Mommy, how do you spell twins?" he asked, reaching up and hugging his sweaty father, Michael pressing a kiss to his son's forehead before moving over to his wife.

"T-" she started, setting the metal spoon on its holder and turning to give Vaughn a proper greeting. He hugged her close, despite the awkward bulge of her stomach, and placed a lingering kiss to her mouth. "You're sweaty and you smell like hockey. Go take a shower, dinner should be ready when you're done."

"Mommy?"

"W-" she continued with her spelling. She'd purchased several books from preschool to first grade and had begun teaching the little boy everything he'd need to know right after they'd arrived in Denver. It had given them something to do in the new setting, but also some quality mother-son bonding time.

His little tongue stuck out as he made the squiggly lines of the W, finishing with a smile.

"I-N-S." she finished and set the wide flat lid over the top of the simmering concoction, turning the stove on low before moving back to the table to look over his shoulder. Her fingers moved through his hair and he unconsciously leaned back against her hand for a moment as he finished the curved line of the S.

"Good job, sweetie. You're getting really good at this. You know what? You might be ready for school in the spring,"

"Really?!" he burst, standing quickly on the kitchen chair and jumping up and down. "I wanna go to school! Let's go now!" he begged, Sydney picking him up and holding him despite the large lump of her middle.

"Well, school already started, so we'll have to wait until after the snow leaves, but I think you're more than ready for Kindergarten. I'll have to talk about it with your daddy. Let's set the table for dinner," she smiled, using him to reach the plastic cups that Vaughn insisted keeping up on a top shelf above the counter.

With her newly expanded stomach – and even on her tippy-toes – there's no way that she could reach them without an extra foot. Holding Danny up so he could grab three cups, making sure he counts out loud as he picks them, she set him down on the floor and watched as he scampers over to the table slightly out of breath.

What she'd said in the note to her sister was true. He _was_ getting much better. His lungs were getting stronger and his blood was starting to look good. The doctors were bound and sure that most of the cancer was on its way out of his system. They'd been taking it easy for a month, and she'd seen him improve quickly.

"How's your chest?" she asked, seeing him come back into the kitchen and take the forks and spoons she'd set out on the counter.

"Good,"

"Does it hurt at all?" she asked again, seeing him methodically lay each and every piece of silverware on the edge of the place mats, picking up the letter and his dinosaur and putting it on the counter.

"Nope," he smiled as she handed him his plates that he'd painted – each saying their names – and making sure they were at the correct spots on the table before climbing up into his chair to wait.

"You know what I think? I think we need to make Daddy take us out for ice cream." She smiled grabbing bowls and scooping up the chili, carrying them over to the table as Vaughn trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen with his shirt in his hands.

Sydney's eyes scanned his chest briefly before he pulled the white undershirt over his rippling torso and adjusted the drawstring pants around his waist.

"How was hockey, Daddy?"

"Pretty fun," he answered, lifting the bowl of salad off of the counter and placing it into the center of the table as Sydney grabbed the dressing from the fridge. "The boys are getting better, and we even have one little girl on our team."

"Eww, girls can't play hockey!" Danny grumbled, feeling Sydney's flicked finger thump him on the back of the head. "Hey!" he growled playfully, swatting at her hands as she tossed him a grin.

"Danny, do you want milk or juice?"

"What kind of juice?" he asked, looking as she opened the fridge.

"We've got apple and orange, and then some mixed stuff in juice boxes." She answered.

"Ummm…juice box please. They have straws and are funner," he grinned, looking down at his steaming bowl of chili.

After grabbing the warm tortillas from the microwave, the small family settled down to eat. Danny told Vaughn all about the letter that they were going to send to his 'Tia Nadi and Uncle Eric', listening with rapt attention as Vaughn talked about his hockey practice.

After a thoroughly stuffing meal, Vaughn and Danny stood at the sink – the smaller on his step stool so he could reach over the counter – to do the dishes. Vaughn rinsed as the little boy ferried the plates, bowls, cups, and silverware over to the dishwasher.

"Momma says that we need to have ice cream," he mumbled, looking up at Vaughn with hopeful eyes. "I've been really good, daddy," he pleaded, Vaughn looking down at the child with a loving grin.

"Well, since you've been really good, I suppose we need some ice cream. Go get shoes on," he winked, Danny shouting a 'hooray' as he scampered out of the kitchen and into the living room as Sydney finished addressing the envelope.

"I take it we're going for ice cream," Sydney smiled as Vaughn walked to the door, picking up his wallet and keys before sliding their respective flip-flops on.

The moment of alone-time didn't go unnoticed by the parents and they were immediately drawn to one another. His hands sprawled over her large stomach before circling around both sides to rest against her lower back.

"Back still sore?" he asked in a whisper, his breath fanning the side of her cheek.

"A little, but I'll be fine. I'm excited to take Danny out," she smiled, her fingers rubbing the back of his neck as his hair tickled the back of her hands. "You need your hair cut,"

"Yeah, I know. It's getting' kinda shaggy. So is Danny's. Looks like we're tryin' to grow a mullet on him." he laughed, feeling her chuckle against his chest.

"Well, maybe when we get back tonight I'll play barber." she pulled back and flashed him a smile as Danny clomped down the stairs with Denver on his heels.

"I was thinkin'," he beamed up at them as they pulled apart. "Maybe can we go by the water?"

"By the water?" Vaughn questioned, looking up at Sydney's smiling face.

"Over by Chatfield Reservoir. On the north side there's an ice cream shop between the pier and a gigantic playground." she explained as they watched Danny struggle with his shoelaces.

"Sounds great," he smiled, leading them from the house, Sydney dropping the letter in the mail before they piled into the car.

* * *

Eric groaned as he walked into the apartment, Nadia's dinner assailing his senses as the book bag full of papers weighed heavily over his arm. On his other shoulder hung the sports bag, the zipper open and the boxing gloves sticking out of the opening. His tie hung loose around his neck, pulled at during the many hours of debrief with Sloane and the new senior officer that had taken over for Jack Bristow.

Agent Rink. There were only two things that Weiss had learned about Agent Rink so far. One, Agent Rink was even more of a hard-ass than Jack had been. Two, Agent Rink was a complete ahle.

_Eric sighed with a contented smile as he powered down his computer and picked up his discarded jacket from his chair._

"_Going somewhere, Agent Weiss?" the booming voice of the six-foot-four Samuel Rink filled the nearly empty APO office, making the younger agent jump._

_The stare that Weiss once thought had been patented by Senior Bristow was a near permanent fixture on Rinks' face. _

"_Umm…home?" he squeaked, cursing himself for sounding like a wuss._

"_Debrief in forty minutes. You are required" he growled, turned, and walked back to his office without so much as a glance back at the crestfallen agent._

_Throwing his things back onto his workstation, he fished into his pocket to locate his cell phone._

_Three rings later, Nadia's voice broke through. "Hey angel baby, I'm not gonna be able to pick you up from the airport," he grumbled, hearing her sigh. "How was Greece?"_

"_Nothing. It's as if the Anderson's have just dropped off the face of the planet," she growled, curling back up in her seat and tucking her legs underneath her. _

"_Well, we know that's not true."_

"_What's going on that you can't pick me up at the airport? Anything new?" she asked, not really wanting the conversation to end._

"_No. Well…not that I know of. Rink's and Sloane just wanna make our lives miserable,"_

"_I'll make a late dinner," she promised before they said their goodbyes and hung up._

And the meeting was almost exactly what Weiss had originally thought. Lame and useless with another mission involved. At least he got to go with Nadia this time.

"Nadi?" he called, seeing her head pop out from the kitchen as she fixed him with a bright smile.

He tossed down his stuff, throwing the unread mail onto the table as he stalked over to where she stood and pulled her into his arms. She placed her head onto his sturdy shoulder and inhaled his slightly sweaty yet masculine scent, a small trace of his cologne still sticking to his throat from where he put it on that morning.

"I missed you," he mumbled into her hair, his hands running up and down her back.

"I was only gone two days, Eric," she chastised, pulling away slightly before she saw the ebbing worry in his dark eyes. "For the record, I missed you too. Now, dinner is officially cold, so grab something to drink and sit down while I heat it up."

The meal was a quiet affair between the two as they both sat in their own little worlds. Eric cleaned up the plates as Nadia washed down the table, tossing the cloth to the counter as she leaned against the wall to watch him.

"What?" he asked with a small grin, peering over at her from the corner of his eye.

"Nothin'," she winked in return, picking up the butter and placing it back into the fridge.

"You heard from Syd and Mike?" he asked nonchalantly, though Nadia knew how much it pained him that the small – soon to be large – family wasn't around any longer.

She shook her head and moved up behind him, her fingers kneading the tense muscles of his back.

"Look, I know it's only 9:30, but I'm beat. Let's go to bed," she sighed, kissed between his shoulder blades as he left the remaining dishes in the sink.

They readied themselves for bed, a much needed shower relaxing them both even more as Eric's hands patted her body dry from head to toe, his rising erection making Nadia smile.

"I thought you said you were tired," she grinned, her towel rubbing his firm - but still slightly padded – stomach, the terrycloth making his semi-erect hard-on jump to full attention.

"Hey, for you…I'm never too tired." Laughing, he dropped the towels to the floor and hauled her up against his body.

His mouth instantly found her own, his stubbly face rubbing against her smooth cheeks and chin. Nadia laughed as they both tipped onto the bed, Eric's mouth blazing a path down her shoulder and back up again before skimming across to nibble at her collarbone and the underside of her jaw.

The buzzing of a cell phone was ignored as her fingers coiled around his growing member, his breath rushing out against her heated skin in a whoosh. When his cell buzzed once more a moment later, he glared at the contraption sitting harmlessly on the nightstand.

"Should we answer it?" he asked in a harsh whisper, Nadia following his gaze to the leash-like device beckoning them.

"Nah. Let it go," she grinned, pulling his mouth back down to hers for a searing kiss, her tongue circling his before her own distinct ring pierced the air from the living room.

"It had better be important, or so help me god-" he let it go as she grabbed his oversized oxford button-up and bolted out to the phone perched on the counter.

**Marshall** showed up with blinking lights as she frowned, pushing the button.

"Marshall? What's up?" her voice was somewhat annoyed, but at the same time she knew that it wouldn't be something serious if Marshall was calling them.

"Get in here now." He ordered, hanging up quickly.

She pulled the phone away from her ear, double checking to make sure that it was indeed Marshall who had just hung up on her.

"Who was it?" Eric asked, slipping his boxers on and adjusting them around his waist while walking from the bedroom into the living room.

"It was Marshall," she paused, looking over at the disheveled agent wearing a pair of bright red boxers sporting little hearts dancing with outstretched arms. "You look ridiculous in those,"

"What did he say?" Weiss grinned but chose to ignore her jab at his fashion sense.

"He said, and I quote, 'Get in here now,'"

"That was it? No usual Marshall banter?"

"Nope,"

"Nothing was stuttered?" he asked as they brusquely went back the put their clothes on.

"Nope,"

"Well…this can't be good," he muttered.

* * *

"Danny, don't go too far ahead, please," Sydney called as she and Michael watched the little boy scamper quickly from the car to the sidewalk, his excitement escaping in the form of little hops and bounces from one foot to another on his new light-up shoes. The red blinking stretched from the tip of his toes along the outside of both feet to the back, where Vaughn joked about them being his brake lights.

There were quite a few people at the pier that night, the jagged rocks of Chatfield Reservoir shining with the last pink hue of the sun setting on the horizon as the sky was bathed in color.

"Well, we certainly don't have sunsets like this in L.A.," Vaughn grinned, pulling Sydney's hand into his own as they met up with Danny as he started talking, grabbing his father's hand, his own being swallowed by Michael's huge palm.

"-then me'n'mom jumped off the swings! The duckies here bite, so don't try 'n pet them," he warned, Michael answering when necessary as he set his other hand to the small of Sydney's back. "Ooh! The ice cream man!" he shouted, pulling his hand free from Vaughn's as he bolted the thirty or so feet to the counter of the small shop.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" he couldn't contain his enthusiasm, and the young woman behind the counter merely smiled down at the little green-eyed boy who's hair was the only thing visible over the edge.

The ambling parents got there soon enough as Danny begged his father to lift him up to see. After ordering their ice cream, they walked quietly to the playground, the child maneuvering with his large cone held firmly in two hands, the mint chocolate chip ice cream scoop – chosen because it happened to be his father's favorite – wobbling slightly. His eyes focused completely on his dessert, he stumbled over a large crack in the pavement.

It wasn't large enough for him to fall, but it was apparently enough of a jolt to cause the scoop of ice cream to roll off of its precarious spot atop the hollow cone and land with a splat on the sidewalk.

Danny's hands flopped down at his side, his cone tilted toward the ground as tears fell from his eyes. Vaughn and Sydney made it a few feet before realizing he'd stopped and turned to see what he'd focused on.

"Oh, buddy," Michael mumbled, moving over to where his little boy was staring dejectedly at the spot where his scoop had landed. "Here," he smiled, taking Danny's now empty cone away and placing his own, full treat, into the boy's hands.

"Really, daddy?" he asked with a sniffle, his eyes shining as Vaughn cupped his cheek with a smile, lifting him up against his chest as he rejoined Sydney, his free hand linking with hers.

They sat on a small bench next to the playground to eat their ice cream - in Vaughn's case, to eat an empty cone – but the playground was too much for Danny to take. After eating more than half of his cone, he handed it off to his father and asked permission to go play.

"Ten minutes, buddy, it's gettin' late," Michael said, using the sleeve of his jacked to wipe off his son's sticky face before turning him loose to play.

"So you do get some ice cream after all," Sydney smiled, scooting over and tucking herself into Vaughn's side as she finished her cup of sherbet and tossed it and the plastic spoon into the neighboring trash bin.

Michael merely smiled, pressing a cold kiss to her forehead as Danny immediately went to the swings and jumped in. He kicked his legs as best as he could, but wasn't able to really get anywhere.

"You'd better go help him," she grinned, speaking right before the little boy called for aid.

"You'll be okay here?" he asked and stood, slipping off his jacket as she took it from him and placed it over her lap.

She nodded as she watched him walk over to where Danny was swinging, a parent who had been pushing her daughter giving him a hand before his father arrived.

Sydney sighed as she felt one, or possibly both, of the children wiggle around in her stomach, her hand caressing the large lump lovingly. Though she welcomed the pregnancy and – despite the morning sickness – had enjoyed every moment of it, this huge belly wasn't something she was going to miss.

The constant kicks to her midsection put a permanent goofy smile on her face, one that only Vaughn understood completely. Since he had decided to stay put they'd been like one, great big happy family, something that none of them ever got a chance at.

Two small hands covered her eyes from behind, making her jump slightly before a small voice filled the air. "Guess who,"

"Ummm…is it Santa?" she asks with a grin, the child behind her giggling as he leans up and places a kiss to her cheek.

"No, silly, it's Danny." He explained, walking around and climbing up awkwardly into her lap, both small hands resting on the roundness of her stomach.

"Danny who?" she continued as he leaned forward, wrapping both arms around her oversized middle and resting his head where the lump smoothed out underneath her breasts, cocooning the bundles of joy and clinging to his mother like a small monkey.

"Your Danny," he smiles with a yawn, Vaughn jogging up and setting a kiss to her head as he runs his fingers through Danny's hair.

Sydney stood with Michael's help, his hands steadying her as she cradled the nearly sleeping little boy against her chest, her stomach being used as something like a chair for him to rest against. After reassuring her husband that she'd be fine carrying him – nearly a hundred times – they made it to the car. Danny was snoring lightly with his nose tucked against her throat.

Vaughn took him and settled him into his car seat, Sydney sliding in the front as Michael's cell phone went off.

"Here, it's in your jacket," she grabbed it, rifling through the pockets before finding and answering it.

"I think I have the wrong number, is this Mr. Vaughn's cell phone?"

"This is Mrs. Vaughn,"

"Oh, this is Dr. Patterson. I just left you a message at home, but then I scrounged around and found a cell phone number you'd left with me for emergencies."

"Is this an emergency?" she asked, her voice low as Vaughn jumped in next to her, his eyes concerned.

"No, no, everything's fine, I just wanted to let you know that I got Daniel's refill in today, and since I'm working late at the office, I was wondering if you'd be able to run by and pick it up. If you're not busy, that is,"

"No, I'm sure we can pick it up tonight. How late are you going to be there?" she asked, mouthing that everything would be fine over to Vaughn as he started up the car and pulled back out onto the road.

"Pretty late, just knock on the office door and I'll have my nurse open it up. We're recompiling all of our patient's information and it's gonna take a while."

"Okay, well, I'll talk to Michael and we'll head over." She smiles, though she knows he can't see it, and hangs up the phone. "Dr. Patterson says that Danny's refill is in and that he'll be working late at the office so we should stop by and pick it up."

"Well, we have to pass the house in order to get there, so I'll drop off you and Dans, then you can get him ready for bed and he can take his medicine when I get back." Vaughn smiled, his heart beating slower since he heard that it wasn't an emergency call from Danny's doctor.

The drive home was smooth, Danny waking half-way and sitting with serene eyes as they merged onto the highway, Danny beginning to talk of school as the parents smiled.

* * *

"Evan Anderson is dead," Sloane blurted as Eric and Nadia walked into APO's main office area.

"What? When? Do we have confirmation on how?" Weiss asked, Arvin leading the way past the conference room and into Marshall's cluttered office.

"She was admitted to a hospital in Canada, first class in their studies of cancer and cancer-related drugs."

"Did we apprehend them both?" Nadia asked as Marshall typed away on his keyboard, listening but not participating in the conversation.

"Unfortunately, no. Ryan Anderson merely dropped her off promising to return in a week or so to check on her progress, but never returned. She passed away early this morning." Sloane finished as Marshall pulled up a photo of a coroner loading the deceased woman onto a gurney.

"So, with the Anderson's no longer wanting to use Danny as a guinea pig, does this mean that the Vaughn's can some home?"

"It would appear so yes. Over the last week or so, we've followed every possible sighting, clue; any lead on Anderson after he dropped off his wife. He's been in contact with some pretty gnarly people," Marshall explained, his fingers once again flying over the keys.

An image popped up on the screen, Weiss recognizing his picture immediately. "Ronald Zimmerman. He's the guy from England, right? That the S.I.S. had looking into the Anderson's on their side? He provided the Intel on Danny's birth parents,"

"Yes, good Agent Weiss. That man is dead. He's been giving us information, whenever he could, but British Intelligence has confirmed that he has been killed. That leaves this task force as the only on actively searching for Ryan Anderson. I want him found,"

"Whoa…there's a flood of e-mails between Anderson and someone in Colorado," Marshall called, effectively making the other three in the room jump.

"To who? Who's the recipiant?" Sloane asked, peering over the young man's shoulder in an effort to follow what he was doing.

"I don't know…but they mention an address," he mumbled, searching it out and reading it aloud, Weiss and Nadia joining in as they read it all together.

"Sydney and Michael Vaughn. 17883 W Berry Dr. Denver, CO, 80123,"

"Oh my god…"

* * *

"Okay you two, I'll be right back. Danny, don't forget. You promised your mommy you' help her clean up the toys in the basement," he pointed at his son, a stern look in his eyes.

He kissed them both, opening the door and trotting out before hearing Denver whine at the gate.

"Oh all right," he smiled, opening the passenger-side door and whistling, the large dog using his nose to open the small gate and bounded over and into the car. "We nee to teach you not to do that. At least you only do it when asked," he grinned, the mutt taking up Sydney's seat as he pulled out of the driveway and out onto the street.

Parking at the doctor's office, he left the window down a notch for the dog and jumped out, knocking twice before Patterson's nurse opened up the door for him.

"Thanks, Kathy," he smiled, his cell phone buzzing in his pocket. "Give me a sec, it's long distance," he smiled, turning away from the smiling doctor and his assistant as they sat pouring over document after document.

"Hey, Weiss, what's up?" he smiled, though it soon faded as his friend yelled through the phone.

"Get out of the house!"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Get out of the house now. It's Anderson…he's –"

Vaughn looked up quickly as something slammed into the side of his head, stars flashing in front of his eyes before he hit the floor.

He woke slowly the stench of sulfur under his nose making him cringe. His eyes were blurred but soon focused on the two men standing over him. Patterson was counting hundred dollar bills while the other was a face he recognized all too well.

"Good evening, Mr. Vaughn. At last we have the pleasure of meeting face to face."

"What the hell do you want with me Anderson?" he groaned, his fingers wiggling and testing his bounds.

"I want you to know what it feels like. To lose everything you've desperately tried to keep safe," tears filled and fell from the man's eyes as he thrust a photo of Evan Anderson into Vaughn's face. "My wife…my beautiful wife is dead because you took away the one chance I had to cure her."

"Murdering children isn't a cure." Vaughn snarled, Anderson's fist slamming into his cheek as his head whipped back against the back of the office chair.

"I'll explain everything, Mr. Vaughn, but first," he paused, kicking Michael's chair until he turned around to face a large television in the corner.

"Let's watch a little movie, shall we?" Lifting a remote he pressed a button, an image flickering on the screen.

His eyes squinted to get a closer look, but it wasn't hard to see that it was his own home that the blurry, video-camera was focusing on.

"Wait...what are you doing?" Michael asked, terror filling his stomach like a lead balloon.

"I watched my wife die. I watched the surveillance feed until she stopped breathing." He growled, the image showing that Danny and Sydney were in the basement from where the lights were on.

"Now…I shall give you the same privilege. You have fifteen seconds to say goodbye," He growled, patting Vaughn's shoulder and locking the wheels of the chair before exiting the room.

He didn't want to count, but as the door closed, he found himself doing so anyway. His eyes filled with tears as he called out to Sydney, begging her to read his mind and leave their home. He barely noticed his wet cheeks as he hit one on the countdown in his mind.

It started with the roof. The giant ball of flames licking the sky as it flew into the air in pieces, some landing on the road and others going all the way into Mrs. Gatsby's front yard. It seemed to erupt at once, the walls expanding and buckling as the windows shattered along with his heart.

Michael longed to touch the screen with his bound hands as sobs wracked his body, Anderson's laughter piercing the air as something hard and metallic slammed into the back of his skull.

"Sydney-" he muttered before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *


	35. Chapter 35: Remnants

Chapter 35: Remnants

* * *

He'd been left alone for quite some time now, though he wasn't entirely sure how many minutes had passed since he'd witnessed the utter destruction of the home he'd shared with his new family. Anderson had conveniently left the television on so Michael would be able to watch the mass chaos that followed when the entire neighborhood ran over to the decimated house - containing his wife, son and unborn twins.

_'Maybe Sydney heard something - maybe…maybe they weren't in the house.'_ The words had been bounced around inside his head like an endless mantra, but now he was having trouble believing that his loved ones had survived.

First, endless sadness weighed on his shoulders, drooping them as well as his head, while his stomach felt the equivalent of a lead balloon. In the middle - somewhere - was his heart.

_'Completely shattered,'_ he thought once more, his cheeks not having enough time to dry before another onslaught of tears poured over his saturated eyelids.

_'Maybe Sydney heard something. Maybe they got out,'_ he repeated as the door behind him opened.

"Well, the fire department got the house out faster than I thought. Maybe you'll be able to bury some remains after all. That is…assuming you'll live through this."

"What do you want from me now? What could you possibly take from a man that has nothing?" Vaughn growled, his voice raspy and sore after his harsh sobbing.

Anderson walked around the bound man, his stride casual as his hands rested comfortably in the pockets of his khaki pants.

"You still have no clue as to what you stumbled upon in Russia…do you?" he asked, stopping behind him and focusing intently on the screen where the firemen were shown entering the house, the two ambulances that had been called in pulling back onto the street with the same number of people as when they arrived.

"It's the infamous Sydney Bristow," he grinned, leaning forward and whispering into Vaughn's ear over his shoulder. "She came back to life once…maybe she can do it again."

"How the hell do you know about that?" Whipping his head around he nearly slammed his forehead into Anderson's.

"I've been reading up on you. I've several friends in high places, and let me tell you; your profiles were very exciting. Double agent falling for her CIA handler, romantic involvement; her death intermingling with your marriage," he paused with a chuckle as Vaughn's eyes clouded over with projected hate. "Then all of a sudden she's back and your wife is a traitor. If you hadn't poked your nose where it didn't belong-"

His fist shot out, slamming into Vaughn's cheekbone as his head flew to the side, the familiar dull throb settling instantly into the abused area. This he could handle. The mindless torture from beatings was one that he'd grown accustomed to.

It was the ache of loneliness that threatened to swallow him whole. Even if - as Anderson had put it - he survived this whole ordeal, would he really want to live a life knowing that everything he'd cherished had been taken away? That he'd been emotionally stripped?

_'Let's just focus on the torture right now,'_ he ordered, the voice in his mind - ever the faithful boy scout - trying to take charge of the rampant thoughts in his head.

"What you were doing in Russia was sadistic. You got what you deserved," Vaughn growled, another punch splitting his lip. Blood dribbled down his chin, the spots landing on his worn and faded jeans.

_'Syd would be so pissed, she just washed these yesterday,'_ the endless monologue flowed like ticker tape between his ears as he fought down the urge to weep.

"My studies in Russia would have turned the world for the better! What are the lives of some meaningless little brats over finding the cure for cancer?!" Anderson growled, his fist slamming into Vaughn's stomach as the breath squeezed from his lungs.

"You took my cure-" with a pause came another hit, this one bouncing off of his opposite cheekbone. "You took my wife-" a repeat blow to his right cheek, the soreness of the first blunt strike throbbing as this new attack broke the skin.

"Now I took yours. I took your life, Mr. Vaughn, I've left you with nothing. However, you still have some use to me. Tell me where you have the Rambaldi artifacts you've acquired, and I'll entertain the thought of letting you live."

"Oh…that's a bargain," Vaughn growled, Anderson's foot slamming into his chest as the momentum forced his body to topple backward in the chair, the back of his head slamming into the floor.

"We'll talk later." With that, he was left in silence once more, his body aching as he tried to roll to his side in order to take the pressure off of his bound hands behind the chairs back. The cool floor was soothing against his swelling cheek, and Sydney's name flitted from his lips before his vision blurred and then faded to black.

* * *

_"Danny, please put your pajamas on, it's almost bed time," Sydney ordered with an exasperated sigh, her voice traveling up the stairs where she could hear the clomping footfall of her bouncing son. Flopping gingerly onto the couch, her hands resting over her extremely large stomach as the children inside proceeded to have a boxing match._

_"Mommy, can I still play when I have jammies on?" His little voice sounded so sweet and innocent, but she'd learned to say 'no' in the months without Vaughn._

_"No, sweetie, not tonight. You need to put away the train set in the basement and then get into bed."_

_"Will you help me?" he asked, his small body showing up at the landing as he struggled valiantly with the zipper to his footy p.j's, the front hanging wide open showing off his Spongebob Squarepants boxer shorts. She'd found a boy's size as well as one in the men's section of the store, so on Saturday mornings Vaughn and Danny would pile all of the pillows from the house up onto the living room floor, settle in with a blanket and two bowls of cereal and just lounge while watching cartoons - complete with the cotton undershirts and bright yellow boxers with the dancing sponge on the rear end. Saturday mornings were Daddy/Danny time._

_"I can't do it. I'll never know how to zip!" he growled, flopping down on the top step and crossing his arms over his chest._

_"Honey, it'll take time. Zips are tricky things. C'mere and I'll help you," she held her hand out to him as he stood up and walked over, jumping up onto the couch and standing next to her while she zipped him up from the heel of his left foot all the way to his chin._

_"Do we have to take apart my trains? I like them how they are," he asked, hopping down and reaching his hands out to help Sydney up from the sofa. She took them with a smile, though the little boy didn't really help too much in getting her wide body off of the comfy cushions, his beaming face made her thank him for his help anyway._

_They tromped down the stairs, Danny moving quicker than Sydney as he jumped the last three and rolled onto the soft carpet. The basement was filled to the brim with toys scattered around the floor as well as piled in neat stacks along the walls. In the far corner was a large bassinette that Vaughn had just begun to put together. Right now it was just a basket with the legs and bagged nuts and bolts lying around it._

_She smiled, setting a hand to her giant round stomach, remembering the day Vaughn had brought it home._

_"Okay, Syd, close your eyes." Danny giggled beside his father as she effectively shut her eyelids as they'd asked it._

_"No peeks, momma, you promise?"_

_"I promise, sweetie," she grinned, anticipation bubbling as she fought her curiosity and managed to keep her eyes closed, feeling that they were leading her down to the basement._

_"Okay, open!" they both shouted, Sydney opening her eyes and seeing a large box with a picture of the bassinette on the front._

_"You got one? I thought you were going to wait another month," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Vaughn's neck as his hands rubbed her back._

_"Well, I figured that we probably shouldn't put it off any longer than necessary, and besides - it's perfect. Big enough for both of them with room to spare." He smiled before gently patting her stomach, Danny doing the same from below as he looked up at his father._

_"Can I help build it, Daddy? I'm a good builder," he pleaded, Michael giving in quickly and ushering his wife upstairs._

_"We'll call when it's finished, it shouldn't take more than an hour." _

_That's what he'd said. Unfortunately, the directions weren't included with the package. And rather than taking it back to the store and asking for one that was equipped with instructions, the infamous line:_

_"How hard can it be?" came from his lips._

_Three hours later, getting fed up with waiting, Sydney marched down the stairs with two glasses of water for her working boys. She grinned as Michael sat in the middle of a maelstrom of screws, bolts, nuts, tools and one happy little boy._

_Danny was wearing his Little Tykes Tool belt, a gift from his father so they could 'fix things together', his green Ninja Turtles boxers and bright red Spiderman shirt a stark contrast to Vaughn's khaki shorts and CU Boulder t-shirt._

_Needless to say, the bassinette wasn't finished, and that had been three days ago. It wasn't that Michael hadn't tried - he was just a stubborn male. So now she sat and waited for the right moment to tell him that she'd found the directions online and they were waiting for him on the countertop. _

_"Okay, mommy, the blocks are picked up. Can you help me with my trains? They're hard to put in the box," he asked, forcing Sydney back to the present as she moved forward and knelt awkwardly, holding the box open as Danny began placing the trains, tracks, signs, small plastic men, and finally the large mat that everything went on back into the box._

_"You forgot Thomas," she smiled, pointing over to the discarded blue train in the corner by the furnace room, Danny standing quickly and jogging over to lift the toy into his hands._

_She'd managed to push herself up when his curious voice called out._

_"Momma, there's a toy in there," he stated, pointing to the dark recesses of the room._

_"It's pitch black in there, how do you know?" she asked, knowing full well that he was afraid of the room and wouldn't venture in to collect his stray play thing._

_"It's beeping. Maybe it's my robot," he suggested, Sydney frowning as she spotted the aforementioned toy sitting on the child-sized coloring table._

_Pushing him back she moved into the room, flipping on the light as the phone upstairs began to ring. She listened carefully, telling Danny to ignore the phone before seeing a large cardboard box sitting in the corner._

_'We've unpacked everything…' she thought to herself, opening one flap to the box as the beeping intensified. She only needed to take a brief glance at the flashing numbers to know exactly what the box contained._

_Jumping from the room, she snatched the confused little boy up into her arms and bolted as quickly as she could to the back door. Thankfully she'd opened it to let in some fresh air, and after throwing the screen wide she dashed out past the patio, a rushing ball of heat hitting her back as she fell to her knees in the middle of the yard, Danny's small body tucked firmly against her round stomach as their home was engulfed in flames._

_Seconds later, everything went black._

* * *

"Come on…come on - pick up the damn phone," Eric growled as he tried Vaughn's cell phone for the millionth time that night, the faces of his colleagues and friends sitting around the blanched white APO conference table.

A young agent ran in, a single piece of white paper in his hand as he waited to be acknowledged.

"What?" Sloane asked brusquely, the man quickly moving farther into the room.

"Several agents are in the area and are reporting that the house is completely destroyed on the inside, with structural damage in the high ninety percentile. Chances of survival are slim, sir," he stated, Eric slamming the phone back down and grabbing his jacket, Nadia jumping up to follow.

"Agents Weiss and Santos, you have not been dismissed." Agent Rink's booming voice stopped them as they reached the door.

"You have permission to go. I'll have jet waiting for you at the airport. Bring them back. All of them," Sloane ordered, his pointed stare directed at the other senior officer as he groused in his chair, Weiss and Nadia bolting from the room.

"Why are we wasting our time on this?" Samuel Rink asked, Arvin regarding him with a harsh glare. "Agents Bristow and Vaughn are no longer with this agency. We have no obligation to either of them!"

"Sydney and Vaughn were exemplary agents, and the only reason that this terrorist is after them is because of their involvement with this Agency. Sydney is Nadia's sister, and Weiss and Vaughn went through training at the Farm together. Do not tell me what our obligations are, Samuel - now or ever," he growled and turned in his chair, his phone against his ear as he ordered a plane to be ready for immediate departure to Denver, as well as a helicopter to ferry them to the Vaughn's street.

Weiss handed Nadia his cell phone as he drove wildly out of the parking lot. She reached into the back and grabbed the small red light, turning it on and setting it on the dashboard as they flew through the streets of Los Angeles.

"Eric, easy. Everything's gonna be fine. Syd and Vaughn are smart-"

"Just keep calling," he interrupted with a growl, his features immediately softening as he pulled into the main lot of the airport. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"Hey, it's okay. Me too," she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek as they jumped out, Vaughn's voicemail making Nadia hang up yet again.

* * *

"Rise and shine," Anderson's cheery voice broke the silence of the room, the door crashing into the wall and shocking Vaughn awake as his blurry eyes focused on the now turned off television.

"Rumor has it that a CIA team is scouring the charred remains of your house for any survivors. Though I seriously doubt that they'll find anything that resembles your wife."

"You son of a-"

"Now, now, let's not lose our temper," grabbing a rolling chair he pulled himself around the table in the middle of the room and over to Vaughn's side. "I'll make you a deal. Though I've destroyed my chance at finding Rambaldi's cure - not that I need it any longer - I'm still interested in the man's artifacts. If you just tell me where the items you've acquired over the last year are, I'll let you go to your family's funeral."

Rage boiled over, his eyes darkening to a near black jade color as he glared up at the man in front of him.

"They're in Los Angeles. At the subway station, there's a secret entrance marked 'Authorized Personnel Only', and behind that door is a series of knobs, levers, and switches that will grant you access to a small stock pile of Rambaldi artifacts and manuscript pages."

"You wouldn't tell me this if there wasn't a catch," Anderson's once cheerful mood dispersed as he regarded the young, broken, man before him.

"It doesn't matter," Vaughn growled. "I gave you what you asked for; I've told you exactly where to go to find them."

"Yes, but what if I don't believe you?"

"You don't have to," Vaughn's monotone voice was beginning to irritate his interrogator as Ryan Anderson stood quickly, the chair rolling back and banging into the cabinets and sink.

"Tell me what I want to know, or I will kill you."

"Do it," Michael snarled, defiance showing in his eyes.

Anderson stepped closer to the bound agent, his face a foot away. "Eager to die, are we, Mr. Vaughn?"

"You're wasting your time. I've told you where to find the artifacts, and now it's up to you."

Ryan stepped closer, his nose inches away from Vaughn's, and Michael took the opportunity to lash out, his forehead slamming into Anderson's as the stunned man fell to the floor. He tried to push himself up on wobbling arms but Vaughn kicked his foot out across the man's face and he landed back on the tile with a thud, blood trickling from a large gash on his cheek and a purpling nose.

Fighting the urge to kick him once more, Vaughn went to work looking around the room for something that he could free himself with. He spotted a drawer marked 'scalpels' and kicked off from the wall next to him, rolling toward the cabinets. Kicking his shoe off, he slid his foot up and wedged his toes into the small hand hole, pulling until the drawer slid open.

After shoving his foot back into his shoe, he stuck his head over the edge and peeked at the many little knives that were situated by size in the small square space. Turning his head sideways and making several attempts, he'd managed to secure a scalpel on the third try.

Rolling back, he deliberately pushed sideways, knocking the chair over as he landed on his elbow, grunting before spitting out the knife and twisting around until his tied hands were facing the object. Vaughn felt around until his fingers brushed the tool and snatched it up, cutting the heels of his hands several times before managing to slice through the nylon rope.

He was free.

* * *

"Stop pacing," Nadia ordered as she reviewed the thin file before her, Eric's incessant pacing around the fuselage of the small jet unnerving her.

Weiss just glanced over her and resumed his walk, his hands shoved firmly in his pockets, his mind intent on ignoring her pleas.

"Eric, please - c'mon," she finally reached out, her hand gripping his lower arm in an effort to still his movements. She pulled him down into the seat beside her, his warm body comforting. Closing the folder decisively, she looked up at his unusually stoic features. "We'll be there soon," she reassured him.

"I know, I just…I don't know if I want to see it," he admitted, looking down at his lap where one of her small hands had wedged its way in between his own.

"Me either," she winced, leaning over until her head rested on his shoulder, a tear escaping and soaking into his cotton shirt.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, brushing a kiss to the top of her head.

Picking her head up with a curious squint, she asked, "What for?" Her question made him look up to the front of the plane.

"I've lost my friends, but you've lost family."

"No, Eric - no…they're your family too," she scoffed, pulled back and folding her legs up underneath her body. "Besides, we don't know that they're gone."

"Yeah. Well…I hope you're right." He muttered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she settled in against his chest.

He was trying to let his mind settle as he soaked in Nadia's soothing presence. Her fingers were massaging his chest as his hands roamed slowly over her back. They looked at each other simultaneously before leaning in to break the last bit of distance between them with their mouths.

Their lips were moving slowly, the kisses they shared more pecks and caresses than anything deep and sensual. Simple touches to right the bond between them as the captain's voice announces their arrival to Denver International Airport.

"Just remember that you don't have to do it alone. I'm here too," she mumbled with one final kiss as they shrugged into their coats, walking the small set of stairs to see a news chopper waiting for them.

"Are you Agent Weiss?" The pilot's voice was barely heard over the roar of the propeller despite the fact that they were screaming.

Rather than speak he merely nodded, seeing the pilot gesture at them to get in.

"Name's Davidson; Brian Davidson. Heard down the grapevine that you and Vaughn were in trouble - again," he joked, Eric laughing and leaning forward to smack him on the shoulder.

"Just go," with that Weiss' smile died as he briefed Brian on the situation.

"Wait, how do you two know each other?" Nadia asked, seeing the immediate camaraderie between the two men.

The boys stared hard at each other for a moment before Davidson returns his eyes to the proverbial road as Eric explained.

"We kinda had to act like we'd never met before, mainly because he's undercover. He's the pilot for News 4 out here in Denver, but it's just a cover. We have him on stand-by for the CIA if we need an emergency pilot, and here he is. He trained with Mike and me on the Farm, but we broke apart after that."

"Yep. Got married, got kids, the works. I'm a CIA field agent, but because of my designated cover I really don't have to do anything," he gloated.

Eric reached up to pat the other man's small beer-belly with a laugh. "I can tell."

"Hey, man, I'm sorry about Vaughn and Agent Bristow. But I've seen weirder things happen," he reassured before tilting the copter toward Lakewood.

* * *

After administering band-aids to the cuts on his hands, Michael crouched down beside the still unconscious man. After checking him for weapons and finding a loaded pistol in his coat pocket, he grabbed him and tossed him into the newly righted chair. After securing him with the rope that had previously been around his own wrists, Vaughn walked calmly to the sink and filled up a small paper cup with a gulp-full of water.

Throwing it into his face, Anderson woke with a sputter as Vaughn gave the waking man a minute to ascertain the reversal of the situation.

"Don't rush yourself, you took a pretty nasty hit to the head. Take your time, I've got all night." Tossing the newly bound man a mocking grin, Michael had to smirk at the rising panic in Ryan's eyes.

"Not as much fun when our roles are reversed, is it?" Vaughn growled, his voice taking on a lethality that he wasn't aware he possessed.

"It had to be done…it - it was a necessity to the project," the sniveling man whimpered, Vaughn's eyebrows perking up with mixed anger and curiosity.

Stepping closer, "Murdering my family 'had to be done'?" his fist shot out, slamming into Anderson's already broken nose, a sickening crunch filling the air as the man howled in pain.

With the first hit, the second came - then the third, and soon he couldn't stop himself from taking out his aggression on the one person that had taken everything away from him.

He stopped with a final blow to Ryan's body, the man's face bloody and cut, as Vaughn turned and walked to the sink. Methodically washing his hands, the blood swirling down the drain, he turned and looked one last time at the beaten and crying man slumped forward in the chair.

Without a second glance he strode from the room, immediately seeing Dr. Patterson and his nurse sprawled on the floor, two separate pools of blood intermingling between the large suitcase full of money.

He shook his head, seeing from the front window that it was still night. Tucking the gun into the waistband of his jeans as he glanced at the clock, the time showing 1:00AM.

"Four hours," he muttered, hearing Denver's barking from inside as the mutt clawed at the window at the first sight of his master.

The minute he jumped into the car the dog was almost on top of him, licking at the dried blood on his cheeks as well as the purpling bruises of his swollen knuckles - though those were more 'pleasurably' attained than his facial abrasions.

Peeling out of the parking lot of the small practice, he sped down the streets noticing that the air above their neighborhood was clear of any smoke. A helicopter whizzed overhead as Vaughn slammed to a halt in the middle of the street, the remnants of his charred house still under investigation by a small group of sheriffs and firemen, a single engine and three cop cars flanking his yard.

"Excuse me, sir, this area is off limits-" the officer started, his hand immediately going to Vaughn's shoulder as Denver growled in warning.

"No, this…this is my house; I live here," he panted, air flying around them as the helicopter hovered close enough to the ground to release its passengers before rising back into the sky, Vaughn and the other men looking desperately through squinted lids to ascertain the identity of the two people running toward them.

"Weiss!" Michael shouted as he jogged over to his friends, Eric's bear-like arms around him instantly in a fierce hug, Nadia doing the same. "Thanks for the warning, man," he sighed, referring to Weiss' shouted phone call before Danny's ex-doctor had slammed something hard and metal into the back of his head.

"Did…did you get through to Syd after you called me?" Vaughn held his breath, his whole world resting on the answer from the larger agent.

"No. She…she didn't answer. She wasn't with you?" Nadia voiced, her eyes briefly scanning the wreckage before turning back, not wanting to admit that her sister and small nephew had been inside at one time.

"Is there any other way she would have gotten out?" Eric questioned, a pleading tone to his voice as Vaughn's eyes filled with tears, his legs giving out as he collapsed on the sidewalk.

"What I wouldn't do to have Jack Bristow here. He'd know exactly what to do," Eric snapped as he flopped down beside his shattered friend, Nadia moving over to talk briefly with the firemen with regards to what they'd found in their investigation of the house.

"What did you say?" Vaughn's voice perked up, his head snapping to attention.

"What? That I wish Jack were here? Yeah, I know…funny thought, huh?" Weiss chuckled as Vaughn stood, pulling the larger agent with him.

"Oh, Eric, I could kiss you right now," Vaughn grinned, the first honest one in several hours.

"Whoa, what's goin' on?" In spite of his confusion, he followed Michael over to his abandoned Suburban, grabbing Nadia on the way, as they hopped in before Vaughn sped down the road.

"Get in touch with Sloane - I need to know if there are any of Jack Bristow's contacts in Colorado," Vaughn ordered, looking over at his friends when they made no move to acquiesce. "What did the fire marshal say?" he grunted, taking a quick look over his shoulder before erratically switching lanes.

"There weren't any remains found in the house, so there's a possibility that she may have escaped. But everything was so damaged that he said it's entirely possible that there were people in the house at the time and they were just unrecognizable. Either way, none of that information helps, so we're back to page one," she explained, seeing Vaughn sigh.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, if you'd get on the phone and find a contact, I'd be able to tell you." The pointed green glare in the rear-view mirror made her shrink back into the back seat, Denver setting his head into her lap as she pulled out her cell to call APO.

"Seriously, man, where are we going?"

"We need to find Irina Derevko." Vaughn's simple answer made Eric's jaw drop. "C'mon, who would you want to find Sydney if you can't have Jack Bristow?"

Eric thought for a few long seconds, shaking his head as resignation shone in his eyes. "Irina Derevko."

"Exactly."

* * *

She dimly heard voices – Danny's easy to discern as he talked comfortably with someone, though the tone of the person he spoke with was low and hard to pinpoint.

She sat up slowly, the pain in her head bouncing around as she cracked her stiff neck, silence prevailing until Danny spoke his simple statement from across the room.

"Mommy! You're alive!"

The little boy bolted across the room after hopping down from the old wooden table, his little body diving into her own as she stifled a groan and hugged him in return.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asked, doing her own motherly check of his arms and legs, swinging her feet off the bed.

"He's going to be fine; you all are. Apparently, either Vaughn did not give you my warning or you're just not one to follow orders," came a voice from the other room.

Sydney looked up quickly, seeing her mother standing in the kitchen of the brackish house, stirring away at a pot of something that smelled far too good.

"Mom-" it was a mix question with a statement, and Irina smiled over at her daughter before pouring a large steaming bowl and ferrying it over to the table. "How – when on earth did- why-…" Sydney struggled with her initial reaction, Danny wiggling up onto what little lap she had left and leaned forward to kiss the twins' protective bubble, running his hands over the bundles lightly while cuddling into his mother.

"Sydney, we'll have time to talk, but right now I need to check on you. Open-" she gestured to her daughter's squinted eyes, taking out a small flashlight and shining them into each pupil quickly. "Well, you may have a mild concussion, but nothing that some pills and a night's sleep won't cure."

"Wait!" the daughter ordered, pushing away her mother's hands gently. "Why did you know about the bomb? How?"

"Sydney, I came to Vaughn to warn him because I knew that Anderson would attempt something. His wife is now dead, and he blames you both," her mother started to explain.

"Why?" By means of the awkward, pregnant-woman-push-up, Sydney managed to get to the table after Danny tugged on her fingers to help her in the right direction.

"C'mon, mommy, Gammy made soup!" he exclaimed, climbing back up into his chair and eagerly spooning up more of the tasty concoction.

Sydney looked up at her mother with a curious smile as – possibly for the first time in a very long time – Irina seemed to blush at the boy's comment.

"I have an associate who warned me that Anderson was getting information about you." Seating herself across from her daughter and the little boy who had quickly wedged his way into her heart, Irina Derevko felt tears welling in her eyes.

"Who is Anderson's contact?"

"Daniel's doctor, Chris Patterson."

Sydney grimaced with a sigh, leaning heavily on her elbows as she ducked her head. Sudden fear sparked in her eyes as looked at her mother.

"Vaughn…he – he went to go see him about Danny's medicine," she paused, apprehension clouding her face. "I have to call him…I need a phone - I need a phone right now!" she ordered, her mother stilling her with a single raised hand.

"Sydney, we've no reason to believe that he's in any kind of danger. We must wait for now, I'm working out an agreement with some of your father's contacts, and we'll be extracted soon enough." Sadness darkened Derevko's eyes at the mention of the late Jack Bristow, Sydney's worry and anger dissipating slightly as she set her hand over her mother's.

"Mom…" she paused, a single tear leaking down her face. "Thanks."

* * *

"What do you mean you don't know where she is? I thought she was being monitored by Langley!" Vaughn shouted into the small cell phone, his back leaning against the cool metal of the car door as Eric pumped gas into the large vehicle.

"Vaughn, Langley didn't think to inform us of Derevko's disappearance because Sydney is no longer actively with this agency, and Nadia hasn't really shown the desire to find her mother since Savogda. I have a few contacts that may be able to help you, but I can't promise anything," Dixon muttered into the cell phone, the static on Vaughn's end forcing him to change position until reception improved.

"I'll take whatever you've got." With a resigned sigh, Vaughn slouched against the window, leaning his head back as Denver's tongue lapped at his ear from inside the open window.

He grinned, though it never reached his eyes, before shoving the dog's nose back into the car playfully.

"Okay, there's a contact in Colorado Springs who was involved in Jack Bristow's search for Sydney during the two years she was missing. Jack used him to find Irina. Gerald Fredrickson – 18347 W. Alameda Parkway. Good luck," he mumbled before Vaughn hung up the phone, running into the small gas station to pay as well as locate a map.

"Excuse me, I'm traveling down to Colorado Springs, and I was wondering if you had a map of the area."

"Sure thing, sir, lemme just grab it," the smiling man replied as he dove behind the counter in search of the map.

After buying every Colorado Springs map that the gas station attendant could find, the trio and the dog were on the road once more, Eric behind the wheel this time.

"Weiss, we need to haul ass. Colorado Springs is around an hour and a half from here; I wanna make it in less that an hour," Vaughn ordered as he fell sideways in the back seat, Denver's barrel of a stomach serving as a pillow.

"And when I get a speeding ticket you're payin' for it," Eric grumbled, but pushed his foot farther down onto the pedal as he heard the mumbled 'thank you' from the backseat before Vaughn fell asleep.

"Try Sydney's cell again, maybe she had it in her pocket and managed to take it with her," Weiss suggested, seeing Nadia's skeptical look from the corner of his eye.

"Can I ask you a question?" she voiced, her tone wavering and slightly watery.

"Of course, angel baby," Eric reached out, his large hand rubbing circles on her knee as she leaned closer to him.

"Do you…do you think that Irina had anything to do with it?"

"With what…the bombing?! C'mon," he reassured with a gentle pat to her knee. "Why would she take the time to warn Vaughn? Why would she be here at all? She might still be in the state, and if she is – and if she knew about the attack – then I'm sure that she would have done anything to help Syd and Dans, you know that. Despite being a horrible mother, she's pretty damn good at taking care of her family."

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts. I'm not defending her record, and with the exception of shooting Syd in the shoulder the first time they met in almost 30 years, Derevko's done nothing but protect her daughters. That includes you."

She sighed, sinking farther into the chair before looking over at him with a small smile.

"Thanks, Eric."

"Any time, baby, any time," he took her hand, placing a kiss to her palm as they continued to drive into the night.

* * *

"You look beautiful, Sydney," Irina stated openly, her skilled hands rubbing over the roundness of her daughter's stomach, marveling that she was actually here with her pregnant daughter after all the problems they'd had in the past.

"Mom, I need to call Vaughn. I have to tell him that we're okay," she pleaded.

Irina sighed as she finished making sure that Sydney was still carrying the twins safely. Climbing back onto the couch as she pulled her shirt back down over the large bump that was her children and regarded her mother with a plaintive stare.

"Sydney, I just don't think it's safe. What I get traces on the people who did this to you, then I will allow you to contact him."

"What about Eric and Nadia at APO? Even Sloane? Do they even know about the accident? They'll be able to help from their end," she pleaded further, and Irina saw that conceding to this one little fact wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Very well, contact your sister. But please tell her to keep it to herself and APO, we do not need the men responsible trying a second time to end your life." She patted her daughter's cheek lovingly and handed her a cell phone, Danny sleeping in the seat beside them.

Sydney quickly dialed, desperate to hear her sister's voice.

Vaughn awoke with a jump and a grunt as a sudden onslaught of vibrations rattled his upper thigh.

"What the hell?!" he sat up quickly, reaching underneath his leg to find Nadia's jacket.

The owner of said jacket regarded Michael with an inquisitive stare from the passenger side seat as Weiss flashed laughing eyes at his friend from the mirror.

"It's your phone, Nadia, it's buzzing," he muttered, retrieving the small phone from her coat pocket.

"Answer it, it's probably Dixon trying to give you more information. You called from my phone before," she turned back to the front of the car as Vaughn flipped it open and hit receive.

"Vaughn," he growled, the long pause on the other end of the phone making him frown in concentration and repeat himself. "This is Vaughn."

Setting her hand to the phone's mouthpiece, she faced her mother with something akin to panic in her eyes. "Mom, it's Vaughn. He's…okay! Apparently he's with Nadia and Eric. What do I say?" For the first time in her life, she was unsure about what to do.

"Well, it's too late now, just talk to him." Irina muttered, the notepad in front of her littered with names and places as she attempted to figure a way out of their predicament.

"Michael?" her voice was a small and she heard a large whoosh of air from the other end.

"Oh my God, Sydney-" his eyes filled with tears, and they flowed quickly down his cheeks. He collapsed onto the seat back of the vehicle as he tried desperately to keep from sobbing.

"Oh, baby…don't cry, we're fine, I promise." She smiled into the phone, though he couldn't see it.

Michael wiped at his cheeks, Nadia and Eric listening intently on the conversation as Weiss's hand found its way into hers.

"All of you?" Vaughn's voice cracked slightly, but he fought to regain control of his emotions.

"Yeah, all of us. Danny's here, the twins are still in the oven, and my mother is trying to figure out a way to get to Anderson," she explained, her hand reaching out and running lightly through Danny's soft hair, his body curling into hers as he slept. "If we can just get him, the men working for him won't have the guts to try anything else. We're at a safe house in Denver – we could use all the help we can get."

Vaughn's face broke into a smile as he leaned forward, tapping Eric's shoulder and signaling him to turn back.

"Syd, text me the address and I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Wait, what are you gonna do? Vaughn, this isn't time to be a hero, just get over here. We'll figure it out once we're together," Sydney ordered into the phone, her relieved face turning into a mask of annoyance.

"I know where he is."

* * *


	36. Chapter 36: Another Chapter Closed

Chapter 36: Another Chapter Closed

* * *

"_I'm telling you, we missed it," Vaughn growled, settling back into the seat, Denver nudging his cheek with a cold wet nose._

"_Look, man, you gave me the directions. I think I know how to read your chicken scratch!" Weiss snarled from the front seat, Nadia running a weary hand over her face._

"_Children, please! Can we just get there? Vaughn, I know you're worried and that it's been a long day, but it's been bad for us too. Eric, stop being difficult."_

_Despite being verbally smacked down by the Argentine agent, Vaughn smirked at the fact that Eric had gotten into more trouble than he had._

"_Don't give me that look, young man," Weiss mocked from the front seat, Michael meeting his eyes in the mirror with a chuckle of his own. "Don't worry, man. Police are on their way to the doctors office, and we're gonna pick up the clan at the safe house before bookin' it out of this damn state. Back to L.A. where you belong," _

"_I don't know if I've said it yet, but thanks for coming. Both of you," Vaughn commented as they spotted the address. Tthe car barely came to a halt before Michael was on the sidewalk._

_He ignored calls from his friends to wait, knocking on the door quickly. It swung open, a gun facing him, though he looked past the object to the very pregnant woman standing awkwardly straight._

"_Michael," she sobbed, dropping the weapon to the hardwood floor and diving into his open arms. His own tears slipped from his cheeks as he embraced the woman he thought he'd lost – again._

"_I don't wanna do this anymore; I can't risk losing you again," he muttered into her ear, his lips caressing the shell and lobe as he pulled back, quickly pressed his lips against her mouth, the small squeak of surprise cut off as she tried to get as close as humanly possible to her husband. Though it was difficult with the giant ball of twins between them, Eric cleared his throat from behind them._

_He was promptly ignored, Michael's tongue tracing her lips gently, asking permission to enter, which Sydney granted immediately._

_Side-stepping the couple, Eric and Nadia were greeted by Irina carrying a sleepy Danny._

"_Uncle Eric," the little boy smiled, pushing away from his grandmother and falling into the large agents arms._

"_I missed you, too, pal, but this is gonna be over soon, okay? You're gonna come back with Tia and I," he promised, holding the child close as Nadia ran a hand over his back, looking up at her mother with teary eyes._

"_I've missed you both so much, sweetheart," Irina stated simply, the dishtowel in her hands something Nadia was sure didn't happen often._

_Danny saw his father and squirmed his way out of Weiss' arms. Once his feet hit the floor, he bolted over to his embracing parents and attacked Vaughn's thigh; both arms and legs wrapped around Michael's appendage, hugging tight._

_Pulling away from his wife for a brief moment, he wrestled his son off of his leg and up into his arms, Danny's little nose pressing against his throat as Sydney's did the same on the opposite side._

That was hours ago, and they now sat on a completely full flight, taxiing out of Denver International Airport bound for L.A.

They'd said goodbye to Irina, leaving her at the safe house early in the morning before Nadia called and verified a flight with APO. Unfortunately, a charter jet wasn't available so they had to book their travel plans on a commercial jet.

Vaughn sat with his small son's hand tucked firmly in his own as he leaned across Sydney's large lap to look out the porthole of a window at the airplanes taking off and landing around them.

"We gotta go here more," he whispered excitedly, his little hands splayed over the twins as Sydney chuckled, her own hand snaking around behind his fidgeting body over to Vaughn's.

After take off, which Danny laughed and 'wheed' prompting Sydney and Vaughn to apologize to the people around them with smiles and laughter, the plane leveled off as Danny's eyes began to droop.

"Daddy, can I cuddle in your lap?" he asked, looking up at Vaughn with big, sleepy green eyes, Michael unable to resist as he unhooked Danny's belt once it was safe and pulled the little boy onto his lap.

Rubbing his back to aid the child into slumber, Sydney lifted the armrest between her chair and their unoccupied son's, sliding into the seat beside Vaughn. His large hand reached out and settled over the bulge of her stomach to caress it lovingly before pressing a kiss to her temple.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, Danny's body going completely limp against his chest, his cheek squished as a small drop of drool began to seep into Vaughn's shirt. He'd grown a lot in the last few months, but he still managed to ball himself up and lie on Michael's stomach and chest. He used to do it with Sydney, but since the amazing growth of the twins, there wasn't too much room for anything else on Syd's stomach.

"Yeah," she sighed, a contented half smile curving her lips. She leaned her head onto his shoulder as his free hand ran through her soft hair.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I mean…for the first time everything's – okay." She flashed him a full, dimpled smile, making him nudge her head up with his shoulder, his mouth quickly smothering hers as she sighed, one hand running up behind his neck and through his hair to hold him closer.

Their passion quickly died down to sweet pecks until their lips were barely brushing, her head retreating back down to his shoulder as he rubbed her back lightly until she dozed off.

"I gotta say, you and your family are so adorable; congratulations," a voice from beside him made Vaughn look up, seeing a grandmother with two quietly coloring children sitting beside her and her husband.

"Thank you," he replied quietly, flashing a smile before setting a kiss to the crown of his son's head.

"If you don't mind my conversation, how far along is your wife? She looks like she's about to pop!"

"Well, we're expecting twins, but we've got about a month left to go," he answered.

"Awww, do you know what they're gonna be?" she asked again, Vaughn slipping closer and closer to slumber.

"Nope. Big surprise," he laughed with a yawn, the friendly woman nodding as she turned to talk to her granddaughter. By the time she looked back, Vaughn was asleep with his wife and son tucked firmly against his body.

A few rows up, Weiss was almost in the same position as Vaughn – without a little boy sprawled across his chest.

"I've been thinkin'," Eric murmured into Nadia's hair, feeling her slight nod for him to continue. "What if we do what Syd and Mike did?"

"What?" she asked lightly, looking up at him with curious brown eyes.

"You know, get married, leave the agency; have a coupla kids? Slap on the dog and the white picket fence maybe?"

"You want to get married?" Her eyes were now wide open, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she watched him blush and look away from her.

"I don't know, I was just suggesting. Wouldn't it be nice?" he seemed honestly flustered as he looked up at her, determined to get her opinion before deciding anything about their future.

"Eric, of course it'd be nice. Are you serious about this?"

"Look," he sighed, lowering his voice so that hopefully only she was the recipient of his next bold statement. "With everything that's been going on with Anderson, Vaughn and Syd, I couldn't help but put my place in Mike's shoes. I mean, he actually thought he'd lost his wife…his kids. I – I couldn't really help this hurt that was in my stomach when I imagined that we'd swapped places and it was _you_ that was hurt, possibly even dead. That's never been a reaction for me, Nadi, only with you."

Tears filled her eyes as she leaned forward, seeing the uncertainty in his eyes. "Eric, I've always wanted a family. And, right now, it looks like I'd only ever want it with you. Whenever you're ready, I'll deal with my father," she promised.

"Oh, thank God. I don't think I'd be able to tell Arvin Sloane that we were both quitting to elope somewhere and live a life full of pleasure." He laughed, kissing her softly until she curled up against his side once more, his arm stretching out over her shoulders and pulling her close.

"Do we have to own a minivan?" he whispered, her breathy laugh fanning his neck.

"No, sweetie, we can have a big, gas-guzzling Suburban," she promised, feeling his smile as she drifted off, his hand rubbing her back and deep breathing soothing her into a finally peaceful sleep.

"Sydney! Oh my God! What the hell happened?" Pulling the phone away from her ear, she smiled at the concerned voice of Rick while sitting at the dining room table later that evening.

"I can't really explain, Rick. Let's just say that a bad guy had a bad plan, and it didn't work out well for him. We're all okay – we're back in L.A.," she explained quickly, hearing his relieved whoosh of air through the earpiece.

"Well, thank God you're okay. Mrs. Gatsby's been over here every hour asking me if I know anything. Your house…"

"Yeah, I know, I was there when it happened. Look, I just wanted to call and let you all know we're okay."

"Are – are you guys gonna be coming back to Denver? Or is this a permanent move back to Cali?" he asked, little Josh pulling at his leg to beg him to let him talk to Danny.

"Well, Michael and I are still talking about it, but I know I'd really like to go back to Colorado. As much as I've missed L.A., I have to say that it's probably the people I've missed more than the city." She laughed, waving as Danny and Weiss ran in from the backyard.

"Hey, is Danny there? Josh is about to pull my pants down trying to get me to let him talk to the little bugger!" he exclaimed.

Trading the phone with her son, Danny walked into the living room as he and Josh talked about the airplane ride.

"You guys talking about movin' back to Denver?" Nadia asked lightly, Vaughn walking back into the room with a pair of Eric's baggy sweatpants around his hips and a button up shirt open, a large towel in hand as he rubbed it over his head.

"Well, Vaughn and I haven't exactly talked about it completely, I mean it's only been a total of eight hours since we permanently lost our home and everything we own," she commented wryly, leaning in to kiss her husband before taking her turn in the shower upstairs.

"Any chance of maybe finding two houses close to each other?" Nadia asked nonchalantly from the kitchen as she stirred the pot of spaghetti while Weiss worked on the sauce.

Vaughn stopped, mid-movement, staring at his two friends with wide eyes. "You…you two gonna…what?"

"Look, it's time to settle down. After all that's happened, Eric and I think that it's a good idea to move on with our lives," she elaborated.

"Together?" Vaughn squeaked making the couple laugh.

"Yeah, together."

"Like…married?" he asked, Danny running back into the room and handing his father the phone before picking up a toy train and a dinosaur and sitting up at the counter, climbing up the stool-like-chair and looking hungrily at the dinner being prepared.

"Well, we've talked about it, and yeah. Eventually we'll talk about marriage. Right now, we need to find a house, get some jobs, the usual."

Vaughn nodded, smiling and congratulating his friends as Sydney waddled back down to the kitchen and walked over to the stove.

"You guys need any help?"

"No, you go sit. You'd probably pop if we got you too warm. Like a piece of popcorn," Weiss laughed, poking at her stomach with a spoon before dipping it into the sauce and offering it up for her to taste.

Dinner was well under way soon enough, and after scheduling a meeting with Sloane the following day, bedtime came early.

Eric and Nadia had pulled out the hide-a-bed in the living room, already sleeping soundly by the time Sydney and Vaughn tucked Danny into the middle of the large bed in the master bedroom.

Michael sat on the edge of the bed with a wide smile on his face as he watched his wife struggle with the drawstring on a pair of new maternity pants they'd grabbed at Wal-Mart earlier that afternoon. Desperately trying to get the knot out without actually being able to see her fingers working underneath the large expanse of stomach, he finally laughed out loud and offered to help.

She once again waddled over to where he was sitting, her stomach coming up to his chest as he undid the knot and pulled the soft cotton trousers over the bulge before tying it. His hands traced the firm belly, a gentle kick or a poke here and there the only movement occurring.

"They've been pretty quiet," he commented, his lips pressing soft kisses against her skin as she sighed, running her hands through his hair as he held her close and showered her midsection with loving attention.

"Well, maybe they've had a rough couple days," she grinned, content to feel his lips and hands on their joint bundles of joy as they occasionally kicked at his ministrations.

"C'mon, it's bedtime," he muttered, one final kiss to the children as he pulled her toward the bed and dropped a large t-shirt over her head.

Tucking her in gently, he maneuvered to his own side of the bed trying to find a place to sleep since Danny had turned catawampus on the large mattress. Lifting his son's legs and pushing him closer to the middle, he slid in underneath the blankets and felt Danny curl his body into his side. Rolling over, he hugged his son to his chest as the boy's small arms wrapped unconsciously around his father's arm, tugging him close. Sydney was already sleeping; the contented rise and fall of her chest making Vaughn try desperately to keep his eyes open in order to watch his family in their sweet repose.

Unfortunately, his body had other plans. It wasn't until Michael started dreaming that he even realized he'd fallen asleep.

* * *

"Okay, that's the last of it!" Vaughn grunted as he set the large box down onto the hardwood floor of the living room, the blank walls and empty halls beginning to look friendlier as they packed every inch of the home with boxes.

"Hey, man, I know you're painting the nursery, but thanks for helpin' me out. Nadi's content to just sit with Syd and drink tea," Weiss gasped for air beside him, a box marked 'Kitchen Stuff' on the lid.

"Eric, that box goes into the kitchen," Nadia called out, watching the sweaty men struggle through the doorway as she and her sister reclined in the Vaughns' yard, a small fence separating their properties, though they were thinking about tearing it down to just have one, gigantic yard for both families.

"Yes dear," Weiss grunted as he hefted the box back up, Michael grabbing another that said 'utensils' as he and Eric set out to sort the many cardboard squares taking up more than too much room at the entry way to the house. "You know, you and Syd could get crackin' on lunch," he suggested, hearing the women's laughter flitter across the yard as Vaughn chuckled, setting the box down in the middle of the linoleum floor.

"Please. Syd's so big that she can't even breathe without one of the kids kickin' her, and Nadi's too busy playing nanny. It's just us, pal. But," he took a deep breath, wiping at the sweat from his brow. "Look at it this way. At least we're not moving everything in the summer."

"Ain't that the truth," Eric wheezed, flopping down on one of the kitchen chairs.

It was Thanksgiving Day, and instead of watching the football game and smelling the delicious cooking, he was moving into and unpacking their new home. Not next door to Syd and Vaughn, but over the back fence.

The Vaughns' had been in their home for around a month now while Nadia and Weiss had wrapped up their loose ends in L.A. with APO and Sloane. Needless to say, with a brand new house and everything in boxes, they were going to be having turkey and fixin's over at the Vaughn residence.

Danny had been helping move things, but when they'd gotten to the heavy boxes and chairs, he's been sent to watch from the staircase.

Turning around, Michael noticed that his son was nowhere to be found. "Danny?"

"Out here, Daddy," the small voice called as Eric and Vaughn prepared to bring in the last piece of furniture: the couch.

Jogging back outside, Danny was sitting on the sofa playing with two shining toy cars as the men surveyed the size of the couch and the width of the doorway.

"Okay…how would you approach this? It's not gonna fit through the door, so we're probably gonna need to get it to the backyard and through the sliding glass. Yeah?" Weiss suggested, maneuvering to one side as Vaughn nodded, taking up his post at the other.

"Want me to move, Daddy?" Danny asked, giggling when they picked up the couch and bounced him back and forth on the cushions.

"Nah, you're okay, pal, just hand on, alrighty? I don't need you fallin' off and getting broken," he laughed, watching as Eric fumbled with getting the gate open.

"It's stuck. Hold on, I'll go open it from the inside."

Weiss jogged back through the house as Vaughn set down his end of the couch and tackled his son with a pounce.

"What's up? You guys need help?" Nadia called as she and Sydney stood at the fence watching as Eric galloped around to the back fence, opening it up and showing Vaughn and Danny in a wrestling match, the cushions being pushed off as the boy tried to gain the advantage over his father.

Moving over to the patio table, Sydney grabbed her digital camera and walked back, seeing Nadia's questioning eyes.

"Come on. Our two guys are moving a couch on their own, through a fence, into the backyard, and finally through the back door. I have a feeling I'll need this," she laughed, pointing to the camera, turning it on quickly as Vaughn stood back up and hefted his end of the sofa, making Danny bounce back and forth as he flopped onto his back.

Pictures were snapped, Danny had jumped off when they needed to turn it to get it into the house, and while Vaughn was opening the sliding glass door, Eric managed to lose his grip and send the heavy object straight into the top of his foot. With his howling mixing with Vaughn and Danny's laughter, more pictures were taken until the camera was full and the couch was in the living room.

"C'mon, boys, let's have some turkey." Sydney called out, Danny shouting 'hooray' a million times as he ran to the back fence, Nadia lifting him over as Vaughn and Eric jumped it. "Go get cleaned up," she ordered, kissing Vaughn's cheek and smacking Danny's backside gently, making him laugh and bolt up the stairs with his father and uncle.

The meal was scrumptious. With both Nadia and Sydney cooking, Thanksgiving was a mix of the traditional turkey and stuffing and spicy Argentinean food. After pigging out royally, Sydney announced that she was going to take a short nap after helping do the dishes.

Eric and Vaughn had somehow managed to sneak into the living to watch the football game, and while Sydney rinsed the plates, bowls, silverware and cups, Nadia dried them and passed them to Danny, who in turn slid them into their respective slots in the dishwasher.

Retreating upstairs, Sydney crawled on the bed and fell into a contented sleep, Danny joining her after dozing off a few minutes later while watching football with the rest of the family. Vaughn carried him upstairs and tucked him in beside his slumbering wife, kissing both of their foreheads as well as her giant stomach before getting back to the game.

Neither woke until later that evening, when Danny promptly demanding pumpkin pie and ice cream. Gathering around the freshly cleaned table, Denver sleeping in the corner of the kitchen, his bowl of turkey scraps inhaled after dinner had been served. The dog had gotten to be pretty large over the last two months, his barrel of a stomach and muscled legs a testament to the equal amounts of time he stayed home with Sydney and went jogging with Vaughn.

"Momma, can my pumpink pie have cherries?"

"Oh, you want cherry pie instead?" she asked with a laugh, still giddy when he said words like 'pumpink' instead of pumpkin, and baboon rather than balloon. It just made her wish that he would stay five years old for the rest of his life. With his birthday in two more days, she was beginning to wonder if the he and the twins would end up sharing that day.

The doctors appointment last week confirmed that it could be any day now for the emergence of the two bundles of unrestrained energy, and it seemed to Sydney that they were constantly doing one of two things: fighting with each other or trying to break their way out of the giant bowl that was her stomach.

She only hoped that they would both be healthy, and that the labor wouldn't start in an inopportune place. For instance, on the highway in a traffic jam. She'd been sticking around the house for the past week, having plenty to keep busy with since they'd just moved in a month ago.

The nursery was almost complete as well, Danny's room still under construction as the little boy slept on a small air mattress in the master bedroom until Vaughn and Eric finished building his bed and painting his walls, dresser and nightstand.

The pies were wonderful, both cherry and pumpkin, and soon after it was bedtime. Danny was put into the bath to rid him of any excess Thanksgiving dinner, and Vaughn washed his hair and body quickly as the boy's eyelids started to droop. Wrapping him up in a towel and drying him off quickly, Danny zipped up into a warm set of pajamas. In the few feet walking from the bathroom to the bedroom he was already out light a light, and Michael tucked him in after Sydney pressed a kiss to his still damp forehead.

After the lights were out and Sydney was tucked in, Vaughn allowed himself to roll over and face his wife only to find that she was already staring over at him. She shifted, trying to find a comfortable spot, complaining of an aching lower back for the second time that night.

"Well, I told you to just sit and rest and let Nadia take care of the food, but you insisted on carting around a turkey and mashing the potatoes," he countered, his hand reaching out and caressing the twins as the wiggled around, knowing that this would probably be another night that Sydney wouldn't be able to get any sleep due to their activity.

"Yeah, well, I probably should have listened," she mumbled with a sigh, Vaughn's circular motions on her belly soothing her until he pulled his hand away. She opened her eyes, looking over at him. "Don't stop, you were putting me to sleep." She grinned, his own dimpled smile breaking out over his face as his hand once more picked up the soft strokes over her bulging stomach. They were both soon asleep.

He woke up to a small whimper, immediately rolling over and checking on Danny. The nightmares were few and far between, but since their ordeal over a month ago he'd had a few more than usual. He frowned when he saw his son sleeping soundly, a large teddy bear wrapped up in his arms as the quilt wrapped warmly around his shoulders.

"Huh," he muttered, rolling back over and scooting closer to Sydney, his bare, boxer-clad legs coming into contact with a very large wet spot on the sheet. He sat up, his eyes checking his wife as she whimpered again, though seemed to still be in the grip of sleep. "Oh man," he muttered, jumping out of the bed as gently as he could, grabbing the things he was going to need for their late night trip to the hospital. Though this wasn't merely a practice session – unlike her baby-drill last week.

Grabbing a pair of jeans from the hamper, he yanked them on while jumping down the hallway into the guest bedroom where Nadia and Weiss were bunking until their new bed was delivered.

"Guys, get up," he ordered, grabbing some things from their office that was temporarily a makeshift bedroom.

"Whoa…where's the fire? What's up?" Eric asked, his voice groggy as Nadia yawned and burrowed farther into their shared pillow.

Michael ignored him for the moment, grabbing a couple of Sydney's favorite books and his laptop, shoving it into the leather carrying-case before turning back to his friends.

"Syd's water broke, we gotta get to the hospital. Can you get Danny ready for me? I'm gonna go wake them up," he blurted, the other couple suddenly wide awake as they followed him into the bedroom, Vaughn checking on his wife before moving back down to Danny.

"Danny, pal, wake up," Vaughn nudged quietly, his son opening his eyes, confusion and sleep lacing the edges. "Mommy's gonna have the twins, okay? You need to go with Uncle Eric and Tia and wait downstairs," he lifted him up, his body still warm and limp with sleep. Depositing him in Eric's arms, Weiss questioned if he was going to need clothes for him.

"Nah, just a jacket. The footy pajamas should be fine," as the others moved down the hallway, he heard a groan from the bed and turned to see Sydney's eye open, looking down at her stomach with a gasp, her hand resting on the tight bump. "Shh, it's okay, baby, I've got everything ready, let's get you into something that's not wet and go the hospital, okay?" His words were calm and soothing as Sydney tried to focus on what was going on in her sleep-induced haze.

"How…how did you know?" she asked, for the first time feeling the soaked pajama pants and sheets.

Vaughn pulled her up into a sitting position as he gently lifted the shirt over her head and grabbed his gigantic hoodie from the corner chair. After that was in place, he stood her up and removed the pants, slipping her into a large pair of his sweats, tying them securely around her waist underneath the speed bump that was her stomach.

Her first real contraction set in, making her cry out and lean into him, his arms soothing as he reminded her of their breathing exercises, swinging her up into his arms as he walked them down the steps to the living room.

"Does it hurt a lot? Can you walk?" he asked quietly, seeing her eyes opening and looking up at him.

"Yeah…I - I think I'm okay," she paused, her stomach returning to normal. "I'm good. What time is it?" she asked lightly, setting a hand to her aching lower back as Vaughn wrapped his arm around her waist and lead her down the stairs where the two nervous adults and sleepy child were waiting.

"2:47," Vaughn stated as he grabbed his keys and her large duffle bag from beside the doorway, locking the house up as Eric jumped into the car, Nadia pulling Danny up next to her and buckling him in – the seatbelt going across his upper chest to dig into his chin. Slipping his head underneath the belt, he placed his tired head against her shoulder.

"You okay Syd?" Eric asked, driving slowly and carefully down the street, mindful of the speed bumps. He took the first two at almost a crawl, his eyes nervously checking back to where Sydney and Michael were sitting.

Vaughn had pulled out the middle seatbelt, making sure it was as long as it could possibly get before gently wrapping it around Sydney's waist, directly underneath the relaxed bundle of babies.

"Eric, it takes almost a half hour to get to the hospital as it is; let's go faster than a granny," she mocked, a bright smile on her face as she snuggled farther into Vaughn's side, her fingers wrapped in his.

"I just didn't…you know – want you to pop going over a bump," he mumbled, his cheeks reddening as he accelerated, coming to a stop as the light turned red.

"Could'a made it," Danny chimed from his resting spot against Nadia's arm.

The car chuckled as the little boy turned to look back at his mother.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?" she asked, Michael's hand rubbing soothing circles over her stomach as she regarded her curious little boy with a bright smile.

"Are you gonna go to Heaven an' be with Granpa Jack?"

Sydney reached out, her hand running protectively through his hair. "No, honey, the twins are just getting ready to come out. Remember? They're in my stomach, and it's gonna hurt - but I'm gonna be fine," she promised once more, seeing the relaxed look pass over his green eyes as he flashed her a smile before turning back to the front.

"You okay? No more contractions?" Vaughn's concerned voice brushed across her ear, his voice inaudible to the rest of the car.

"Yeah, I feel really relaxed. If everything goes well, the next one should be twenty or so minutes after the first," she reminded, looking up at his eyes, a thin veil of anxiety showing with an overwhelming shine of excitement. Setting her hand to his cheek and brushing a kiss to his chin, she pulled back with a grin.

"We're havin' babies," she laughed, pressing a solid kiss to his receptive mouth, turning to look at the lights of the suburbs as they flew past. She felt more that saw him lean forward, as far as the belt would allow, to place a kiss against her stomach. One of the twins chose that exact moment to kick at his father, Michael pulling back with a laugh as he grazed his thumb over the spot before looking up at his glowing wife.

The time passed quickly, each head filled with so many different thoughts that the arrival of Sydney's second contraction served to pull them from their delirium. It was also enough for Weiss to run a light as flashing blue, white, and red lights made him curse loudly while smacking the steering wheel.

"Look, it's not like we don't have a good excuse," Vaughn laughed, timing the contraction with his watch as she squeezed his wrist, both of their free hands covering her stomach feeling the ball of twins tense and then slowly begin to relax as Eric uttered the famous:

"What seems to be the problem officer?"

"You do realize that you ran that light back there, right? I don't care if there wasn't anyone at it, you still ran it," the policeman scolded, looking into the car and spotting the sleeping little boy buckled in with Nadia. "And, to top it off, you've got a kid in the _front seat_ without a car seat."

For effect, Sydney groaned loud from the backseat, squeezing Vaughn's hand reassuringly as he jumped at her sudden utterance next to his ear.

Taking out his flashlight, the cop shone into the back window as Eric rolled it down, seeing the young couple embracing the swollen lump as Sydney tossed in a couple of her breathing exercises to complete the effect.

"We're on our way to the hospital right now, sir. We didn't exactly have time to get to the car seat before jumping in the car," Eric swallowed as the officer walked back up to the front.

"Well, I'll put out a message over the radio, you folks goin' to Porter's?"

"Yes, sir," Vaughn called from the back, shouting out a thank you before they were left in peace. "You okay?" he asked, watching as his wife returned to normal once the windows were up, rolling her eyes.

"I used to be a spy, Vaughn. I still know how to fake out the authorities," she grinned as Weiss proceeded to the hospital, the brightly lit entrance marked EMERGENCY standing out against the dark parking lot.

"Go ahead and park, Eric, I can walk." Syd tapped his seat from behind, though since the last contraction the tightness had never really left her abdomen.

It took fifteen minutes to get a room situation for Sydney, another contraction hitting as the doctor walked in.

"Well, Mrs. Vaughn, you look like you've done well," the doctor smiled, extending his hand to both Michael and Sydney, noticing little Danny curled up on the bed next to his mother. "So these will be numbers two and three, eh?"

Sydney shook her head as another contraction set in, Vaughn speaking for her as she pressed her head into the pillow. "No; Danny here is adopted, so technically these are one and two,"

"Do you have any other family here that is able to watch after little Danny during the birth process?"

"Yeah, her sister and fiancée are out in the waiting room," Michael stated, pressing a kiss to her forehead as the doctor went about checking her abdomen and finally moving down to see how well she was coming along.

"Well, you've still got a bit to go," he mumbled, talking to himself as he examined her underneath the sheet. "You look to be dilated about five centimeters, so I'll be back in about twenty minutes or so. If you need to, get up and walk around, go to the bathroom, etc. Make it seem like everything's normal. If you're thirsty, I'll have the nurse bring in a pitcher of water as well as a pitcher of ice chips. Are you going to ask for medication?"

"I'm not a big fan of medicine, but maybe something light?" she asked as the doctor smiled.

"I'll bring in a sheet that shows you what we've got. We won't have to worry about it until you're around eight centimeters." He gathered up his charts and removed his gloves before walking from the room with a wave.

"Mommy, do I really have to go?" Danny asked from her side, cuddling up against her with an arm tossed protectively over her stomach.

"Just for the tough gross stuff," Michael reassured as Sydney ran her fingers through her son's hair, excitement bubbling as a gentle tap on the door made them look up to see Nadia and Eric waiting for permission to enter.

"Hey, we weren't sure if you wanted us to take Danny now or later," she explained, seeing Danny clutch to his mother.

"Not quite yet, doctor's gonna come back in about twenty minutes," Sydney reassured, pointing to chairs in the room for the two other agents to sit in. "Have a seat, it's probably gonna be a while."

"We should probably pick out some names," Sydney casually looked up at Vaughn, an enthusiastic beam splitting her face, dimples out in full force.

"Well, we don't have a clue what's in there," Michael grunted, poking his finger into her taut stomach.

"We can just call 'em Thing One and Thing Two," Weiss suggested, Nadia hitting him in the arm as Danny laughed, is eyes dangerously close to closing for the rest of the night.

Soon he was sleeping peacefully, Nadia and Weiss lifting the little boy up and wishing the couple luck as they walked from the room.

It quickly got down to the wire, the doctor and three or four nurses entering the room about ten minutes after they'd administered medication. The pain was still intense, merely dulled around the edges by the dose. They propped her up as she was examined once more, Vaughn sitting almost behind her on the bed, his lips placed beside her ear as he whispered his encouragement while she held his hand.

"It looks like you're ready to go here, Sydney!" After placing a mask over his mouth and nose and adjusting his glasses, the doctor placed himself at the end of the bed, his hands disappearing under the tented sheet.

"Time to push," he encouraged, Sydney groaning low in her throat as she bared down with all the strength she could muster.

* * *


	37. Chapter 37: Boy oh Boy

Chapter 37: Boy oh Boy

(Mature Content)

* * *

Sydney couldn't keep the adoration from her face as she looked at the tiny, wrinkly-faced bundle in her arms. The little blue blanket framed his face and his tiny hands were tucked underneath his chin, his fingers wiggling around occasionally as he attempted to get accustomed to being outside of the womb.

She could feel Vaughn's body pressed against her side as he cradled their other little boy against his chest, his giant hands almost swallowing the tiny infant wrapped in a matching blue blanket, thumb firmly placed in his mouth.

After the birth of the twins and their brief interaction with their mother, they were whisked away to be cleaned, measured, and weighed as Sydney recovered in her new room.

Almost fifteen minutes later the two little boys had been returned to their parents, Michael and Sydney taking turns with each of them, basking in the moment.

A soft knock on the door made them both look up as a friendly nurse poked her head in. "I delivered the message to your family in the waiting room, and they're pretty excited. We've just got the names to figure out. Whenever you get ready, just press the button and we'll finish up their birth certificates."

"Thanks so much, if you want to invite them in, feel free," Michael stated, the tiny baby in his arms opening his mouth as he let out a plaintive wail. Michael tried to soothe him as the baby sucked at his fist, Vaughn seeing quickly that he was a very hungry little boy.

His brother had already eaten. The breastfeeding process was awkward at first as the nurse showed Sydney how to properly feed the crying infant. As he was eating, she showed her the way to feed both babies at the same time as well before leaving the small family in peace.

Transferring his crying son into her waiting arms, they swapped children as Michael leaned forward, pressing his lips to his child's forehead.

"Okay…we need names for these little guys," he whispered, his eyes unable to look away as his wife unbuttoned her shirt, the little boy's lips locking onto her breast quickly. He was slightly larger than his brother, though it was almost impossible to tell unless you switch babies after holding the other for a long period of time.

"Well…I know we talked about naming the baby after your father, but that was before we knew we were gonna have two. So, William is good for one," she stated, her eyes moving from her feeding child up to Vaughn's smiling face.

"Will is great. Middle name?"

"Michael," she grinned, leaning over and kissing him lightly, the squeak of the baby between them making them break apart with a laugh.

"William Michael Bristow-Vaughn," he muttered, seeing her shake her head.

"Nah, just William Michael Vaughn,"

"Fair enough. Now, for this little guy?" Vaughn asked, looking down at the content baby in his arms. The more he stared at them, the more he could tell little differences between them. His infant was slightly smaller, and instead of a few wisps of blonde hair on his head, he had the making of brown locks like his mother. Their noses were shaped more or less like Sydney's – a fact that Vaughn was all too happy about. The hungry little boy had his father's chin though, the dimple showing as he drank.

"Well, as fun as it would be to name both kids after our dads, I don't see him as a Jack. But…my grandfather's name was Matthew," she smiled, seeing him look down at the tiny boy before running a finger down his soft cheek.

"Matty and Will. Matty's middle name can be Jonathan if you'd like,"

Pressing the button for the nurse, she was accompanied by Nadia, Eric, and a very sleepy Danny. Michael picked up a folded blanket, shaking it out with one hand as he draped it over Sydney's chest where Will was busy suckling his first meal.

"Mommy," he reached out to Sydney, frowning when she told him that he couldn't come up on the bed.

"I'm sorry, baby, not right now. Will is eating and we can't move the bed around," she explained.

"Can I just sit? I promise to sit, I promise, Momma," he whimpered, Michael looking up at Sydney with a small smile as they acquiesced, letting the older brother up onto the edge of the bed beside his father.

"What's this one?" he asked, pointing at little Matty.

"Danny, these are your new little brothers. This is Matty, and Mommy has Will,"

"Sweet! I'm so excited, man; we're well on our way to a whole hockey team!" Weiss joked, Nadia poking him in the side as the baby beneath the cloth let go with a smack, Sydney peeking underneath the cloth as his satisfied little face looked up at her. She smiled, using her free hand to button up her shirt before transferring the blanket to her shoulder and burping the baby quickly as Will fell back to sleep against her warm chest.

"Look, it's late. Why don't you guys take Danny home and get some sleep. I'm staying here for a couple days anyway." Sydney couldn't keep the smile from her face as the newborn burrowed closer to her body, his nose against her throat.

"No, I'm gonna stay with mommy and my brothers," Danny said assertively, Matty being passed off to Nadia as she cooed over her little nephew - Eric hovering in wait for his own turn with one of the babies.

Michael pulled Danny onto his lap, brushing his lips against the boy's forehead. "Danny, mommy and I need your help here, pal. We're gonna be pretty busy with the babies for a little while, but that doesn't mean we don't still love you. You're our big guy now," Michael told him.

"Do I gotta go home now?"

"Yeah, Dans. Tell you what," Michael paused, seeing Sydney's yawn as she snuggled in with the tiny baby in her arms. "Let's go home. We'll visit Mommy and the twins tomorrow."

"You're going too?" she asked, seeing him nod as Danny beamed up at his father.

"Look, you're tired. Hell…I would be too after popping out two kids. You need rest, and so do we. We'll be back tomorrow," he promised, Eric handing him the baby as they grabbed Danny, telling him that they'd bring the car around and wait for him out front. Danny leaned forward in Weiss' arms to kiss his mother before he was carried from the room over Eric's shoulder.

"Sydney, I love you so much," Michael sighed, settling the baby into the basinet and pressing a kiss to Matty's cheek, turning to look over at her. "Thank you," he mumbled, lifting Will and setting him in with his brother before leaning in and kissing him.

Returning to his wife, his mouth descended over hers in a passionate yet loving kiss, pulling away reluctantly, his forehead pressed against Sydney's.

"You're beautiful, and our children are beautiful. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life thanking you," he commented, a small blush rising up her cheeks as he tucked her into the bed, the nurse reappearing to collect both the children and the certificates.

"Did we settle on names?"

"Yeah. This is Matthew Jonathan Vaughn, and the one with the green cap is William Michael Vaughn."

Once the babies were rolled back to the nursery, Sydney looked over at her husband. "Will you stay with me 'til I fall asleep?"

"Sure, baby." He returned to his spot next to her on the bed, his hands running through her hair as she let out a sigh, her exhausted body relaxing completely against his. She was soon asleep, Michael kissing her chin, nose, cheek, forehead, and temple before switching the light off and leaving the room.

* * *

Two Weeks Later

* * *

"Come on, Mommy, you have to come see!" Danny jumped up and down as Sydney walked baby Matty around the living room in an attempt to get him to sleep.

"Shhh, Danny, Matty's trying to take his nap," she grumbled softly, the infant looking around for his brother's familiar voice.

Since they'd come home from the hospital with a semi-clean bill of health, Matty's ear infection causing them to say behind an extra day, Danny had done nothing but talk softly to each of them for hours a day. He told them everything from the proper way to drive a truck over a dinosaur to why not to jump down the stairs. He adored his little brothers to no end, and Sydney and Vaughn weren't any different.

There wasn't a moment where someone wasn't holding one or both of the babies. Even Mrs. Gatsby had dropped in for a visit, staying almost three hours just chatting and coddling the boys.

Matty's ears had cleared up somewhat with the drops he was on, but he still had troubles getting to sleep. It was usually Sydney's intervention that saved the household from a shortage of sleep.

Weiss had commented one morning during a joint breakfast that, "That thing has the biggest set of lungs I've ever heard in a creature so small," and it was mostly true.

Over the last four or five days both parents had thrown themselves into the proper means of identification for each little boy. By appearance it wasn't too difficult, mainly because Matty's hair was a brownish color while Will's was blond like Michael's, but they were acquainting themselves with every squeak, grunt, cry, birthmarks - all of it.

Once Danny had made himself known, there wasn't any soothing Matty. He squeaked, his tiny arms and legs kicking out, one little foot sticking out from the edge of the blanket as Danny stood gesturing at the top of the steps for Sydney to follow. With slow steps and a smile, she moved Matthew from the crook of her arm to her chest, his little body fitting perfectly over her breasts with his forehead resting underneath her chin. Placing her hand at his back and making sure his neck didn't move too much while walking the stairs, she heard Eric, Vaughn and Nadia grunt followed by a thud from the nursery.

"Okay, Momma, don't peek yet," Danny stopped her in the hallway before she was able to take a glimpse inside the room.

The smell of paint permeated through the house, and even though they were only painting one room it seemed like the scent was everywhere. Danny jumped into the room, his voice faint but still understandable from the hallway.

"Can Mommy see now?"

"Yeah, sure, pal. We've just gotta finish painting the dresser," Michael smiled, ruffling his hand through his son's hair as the excited child skidded back into the hallway.

"C'mon and see, Mommy! It's blue!" he giggled, taking her free hand and pulling her into the room.

The pal

e blue was perfect, accentuating the room yet keeping it soothing and mellow. Nadia had painted clouds along the top and middle of the wall, the border next to the ceiling a darker shade of azure with small white sailboats along the trim. The dresser was still a plain white, though it had been taped off around the edges as well as the drawers where the white would remain.

For now, the crib was in Sydney and Vaughn's room, despite Danny's pleadings to have his brothers sleep in his room until the nursery was finished.

"Look, it's almost lunch time. Anyone up for McDonalds?" Sydney asked, both Eric and Danny speaking at the same time:

"The Play Place one?"

"Of course," she conceded, Matty's squall making her look down at the uncomfortable face of her tiny son. "I'll get the twins ready if you guys get cleaned up."

Walking into the bedroom, she noticed little Will lying quietly on his back as he watched the turn-about above him, his eyes taking in everything about the small lambs and stars as they spun slowly.

Setting the fussy baby onto the bed, she walked over to the dresser and chose two outfits that matched yet were different colors. After getting Matty out of his small one-piece, she sat down next to him with a bottle of alcohol, a cotton swab, and a the usual diaper changing materials.

After brushing several kisses to his little stomach, she removed his diaper, setting a strategically placed baby-wipe over his little soldier so he couldn't spray her like he had Uncle Eric a couple days ago, and proceeded to put the new diaper over his lower half. Making sure that the top of the diaper was folded down so it didn't irritate his belly button, the end of the umbilical cord still attached and looking rather gross, she dabbed some alcohol onto the swab and dabbed at the leftover cord, making sure it wasn't brittle before picking him up and settling his warm little body against her chest with one hand while setting out his onesie with the other. Once he was on his back, his big blue eyes looked up at his mother as his face contorted with another cry, his brother beginning to fuss inside the crib.

"Michael?" she called, not getting a reply. Turning, she spotted him standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched his wife dress their little boy. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, a small grin on her face as she buttoned up the onesie and grabbed the dark, navy blue outfit, opening it up and laying it out next to the baby.

Matty was dressed and Will was securely in Vaughn's arms, she intercepted his hands each time they went for his ears, finally slipping on a pair of protective mittens to keep his fingernails from scratching his soft skin. Sliding the matching hat over his nearly bald head, he quieted down as Michael pressed the binky to his lips.

"Why don't you get ready and let me dress Will?" Michael suggested as she grabbed a pair of teeny socks for each boy. "Maybe go check on Danny, he could use some mommy time."

She nodded, leaning over to kiss Will's forehead, pressing her lips to Vaughn's mouth as well before walking down the hall where she could hear her frustrated son's grunts.

"Danny? Need some help?" she asked, walking into his room and seeing him trying to get his shoes on and tied.

"No, I wanna try," he muttered, his tongue poking out between his lips as he quietly chanted the saying:

"Over, around, under, through – and that's how we tie a shoe!" he excitedly let go as the laces flopped down to the floor, his shoe left untied. He tried once more, Sydney walking over and sitting on his dinosaur-shaped bed with a smile.

With a sigh, he stood and walked over to her, climbing up into her lap. "I can't do it - my fingers are broken."

"No, baby, they're not broken, they just haven't quite learned how to do it yet. You'll get it, I promise," she swore to him.

Getting his shoes done, Michael appeared at the doorway with both babies against his chest. "You guys ready?"

The SUV was packed when they pulled into the McDonalds parking lot, Danny hoping around excitedly as Weiss picked him up and set him on his shoulders.

"You gonna play with me Uncle Eric? In the balls?" he asked excitedly, his hands holding tight to Weiss' forehead.

"Hey, if they'll let me I'm totally in, man. I love the ball pit," he laughed, Nadia shaking her head as Michael and Sydney each carried a car seat with two strapped down and bundled up baby boys.

It was relatively quiet since it was only around 4:00 – the dinner rush not happening for another hour or so. There were a few small families in the children's area of the large eatery, and after he was released Danny immediately ran over to take his shoes off.

"Hold on, pal, what do you want to eat?"

"Happy meal!" he called, one shoe already in his chosen cubby.

"What in it?" Vaughn laughed, following his son with Sydney in tow, the twins being perched on the table as she sat down in front of them.

"Chickie nuggs!" he called out, diving head first into the large ball pit.

"What about you, sweetie?" he asked, setting his hand on her shoulder with a slight squeeze.

"Umm, I'll just have whatever you're getting," she shrugged.

He walked back to jump in line with the other two, Eric looking longingly over to where Danny was yelling for him to come and play.

"You will wait, young man. He's doing just fine on his own," Nadia scolded, the young girl behind the register laughing as she took their orders.

Sydney cooed over Will, Matty having dropped off the minute the car was set into motion. She was happy about that since he'd skipped his afternoon nap. Un-strapping the fussy Will, she pulled him to her chest with a smile as an older woman stepped over.

"I don't mean to pry, but you have the cutest little babies!" she crooned, peeking in at the sleeping Matty as Sydney thanked her. "How old are they? They're so tiny!"

"Well, they'll be two weeks tomorrow."

"Oh, they're just darling! My daughter just had twins a few months ago, and let me tell you - these little girls wreak havoc! I've heard that boys are so much easier to care for,"

"They're angels so far," Sydney smiled, kissing Will's head. "Even our little Danny is excited. Though I'm sure it's because they're boys more than because they're new," she said.

"Well, I'll let you get back to dinner, but I just had to see the babies. Can't pass up an opportunity to shamelessly ogle infants," she winked before walking back to her table where two little twin girls were impatiently waiting for their chance to play.

Vaughn carried the tray over and yelled for Danny to come down and eat.

"Okay, daddy; catch me on the slide! I'm like a racecar!" he laughed, and though they couldn't see him, his sudden 'wheeeeeee' made Michael rush over to the slide in time to catch the speeding child.

Once everyone was seated, dinner began for the whole family. Will was at Sydney's breast, a protective blanket shielding them both from onlookers as Matty's seat was placed in a high chair, the infant sleeping through dinner.

"Okay, Dans, last one in's a rotten egg!" Eric called, kicking off his shoes as he and the boy jumped from the seat, Weiss picking him up and nearly tackling him into the ball pit.

"I knew there was a reason I brought this," Nadia grinned, fishing around in her purse until she found the camera.

"Here, you burp Will, I'll take pictures." Sydney suggested, Nadia eagerly trading the camera for the baby, setting him to her shoulder as Sydney tapped Vaughn on the shoulder mid-bite with his Big Mac.

"I'm eating," he muttered with a plaintive look on his face.

"C'mon, I only want one shot of you three like monkeys," She pulled the lip and Bambie'd up her eyes, Michael giving in and wiping his mouth with his napkin before kicking off his shoes underneath the table.

When Eric wasn't looking, he dove into the pit directly on top of him.

"Oof," Weiss grunted, Vaughn cackling as Eric attempted to roll and throw him off. Danny laughed, jumping onto his father's back as Sydney snapped the picture, announcing she was done.

Selective-hearing prevailed as she went back to the table alone, Nadia finishing up with Will as Matty opened his eyes, confusion filling them as he tried to find anything familiar.

"Hi, baby," Sydney said softly, frowning as he let out the newborn-baby-wail, his hands tugging once more at his ears. "Hey, boys? We need to get going so Matty can get some drops in his ears," she stated, hearing groans from two of them. "Five more minutes," she conceded.

Michael appeared a moment later, concern on his face as he plopped back down behind his wife, pulling her and the crying baby against his chest as one hand settled on Sydney's leg, the other covering her own against Matty's back.

"I made another appointment for him at the doctor's, maybe we should move it up? Even with the drops his ears are pretty bad," he suggested, the boy calming at the sound of his voice.

"Here, he likes it when you talk," she smiled, turning and placing him against Michael chest, grabbing one of Danny's leftover chicken nuggets as the little boy climbed up to the top, pleading with his uncle to climb with him.

"Dans, I don't think I'll fit. If I get stuck, we'll have to stay here and Matty won't get his medicine," Weiss tried to explain.

"Can you catch me?" he asked, pointing up to the slide as Eric promised.

Nadia secured Will into his seat, the little boy in a content sleep after his meal and subsequent burping/spitting up into the hood of Nadia's sweater. She laughed, waving it off as Matty fell back into a fitful sleep against Michael's warm body, the low tones of his voice soothing him as his hands flicked at his ears through the mittens.

One large slide later, everyone was putting on shoes and jackets, the weather unseasonably warm for early December, though snow was on the horizon. Evenings were chilly though, and they bundled up before unwrapping two big blankets and draping them over the both car seats, creating a little tent over each infant.

Matty's cries had escalated by the time they got home, Danny's hands covering his ears as Sydney tried to calm down the squalling baby. Once the drops were in, they waited patiently for the medicine to kick in. Eventually he fell into an exhausted sleep against Michael's chest, everyone gathering in the living room for family movie night.

Danny grabbed his movie, Eric and Nadia making the popcorn as they put the twins down for the night, Sydney and Vaughn claiming the couch. Halfway through the movie, Danny climbed up into his mother's arms, falling asleep against her shoulder. Soon after, Sydney set her cheek against his head, slipping into slumber as she clutched the little boy, Michael's arms surrounding them both.

Nadia peeked up at the couch, lifting the camera from the mantel and snapping a picture. Michael had wedged himself against the back of the couch, Sydney lying flush against his body as she cocooned Danny. Turning off the TV and the lights, she and Eric locked the front door before leaving through the back, the new gate between their houses opening quietly.

Neither spoke until they entered their own home, the new-house-smell assailing their senses as they stopped in the kitchen, cleaning up their dishes from that morning.

"Nadia?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled, the hot water running over her hands as she scrubbed the food from the plates.

"Nevermind," he looked back down, focusing on filling up the dishwasher, looking up only when she stopped handing him plates.

"You've been quiet all day, what's goin on in that big head of yours?"

Rather than answering, he pulled her close and crashed his lips over hers, his tongue immediately entering as she squeaked in surprise. She melted against him, managing to shut off the water in the sink before setting the dish down and wrapping her wet arms around him. He hefted her up by her waist, her legs cinching around his hips, Eric setting her on the edge of the counter.

His mouth plundered hers until they both saw spots and broke apart for oxygen, his chest heaving against hers as his semi-hard cock began pushing its way into the zipper of his trousers.

In a blur, his hands went to the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up, her flat stomach exposed as he tilted his head down and captured one of her perky nipples through the thin fabric of her bra.

As his mouth suctioned over her peaked nipple, the silky fabric strange against his tongue, she tugged his shirt out of his pants and began unbuttoning it.

Nadia's fingers spread out over his wide chest, the hairs tickling her palms as his deft digits released her breasts from the confining bra. Pulling it down from her shoulders and arms, his lips and tongue attacked the neglected mound with vigor, her back arching and pressing her stomach against his.

She tilted back until her neck and shoulders were pressed against the wall, her hips pushing up as her legs wrapped firmly about his backside to grant him access to the fastenings of her jeans. They were quickly around her ankles as she used her toes to pull them off complete; Weiss pulled back momentarily to remove his hanging shirt from his shoulders, an accumulating pile of clothing growing on the floor of the kitchen.

Her hands deftly got rid of his tight jeans, the tenting fabric of his boxers following as he grasped her hips, pulling her up against his body. She scooted forward until she felt as if she would slide off of the counter-top, knowing full well that Eric wouldn't let her fall.

Sure enough, his hands grasped the back of her upper thighs, fingers digging into her buttocks as he positioned the tip of his glistening cock against her moist entrance, pushing against the little resistance she offered. His blunt head slid against her opening, bypassing it and bumping up against her engorged clit.

She groaned, one arm propping herself up against the counter and the other pressing against his chest. Her hips tilted forward, hoping that the angle would aide their effort. With a pull of his hips, the head was once against poised at her opening, but again he passed it by in order to rub against her swollen button.

"Dammit, Eric," she growled, her hand reaching up from its spot over his heart to the back of his neck, yanking him down so quickly that he nearly lost balance. Slanting her mouth over his in a fiery kiss, the sudden movements made him readjust his footing, the first couple of inches of his erection sliding into her hot core.

She gasped at the sudden intrusion.

Their lips pulled away with a smack as the sudden intensity that the beginning of their coupling melted away to familiarity, love, and tenderness. Pushing up until he was completely sheathed inside her warm body, he pulled her forward until she was completely wrapped around him.

He lifted her up, carefully making sure their bodies didn't separate before awkwardly walking to the bedroom and gently placing her back on the bed and causing his hardened arousal to slip from her.

"What happened to the forceful, take-charge Eric?" she asked with a breathless sigh as he readjusted his place over her, pressing himself back into her heat.

"Well…let's just say that I've had some pent up emotions over the last week or so," he mumbled with a smile, his arms wrapping underneath her upper body as he pulled back and returned in one slow thrust.

"You haven't said -" she paused, a low moan coming out before she was able to coherently finish her sentence. "You haven't really said anything in the last week, you've been quiet. Which is strange," she grunted as he thrust again, this one harder than the first.

"I've had a lot on my mind," he whispered against her neck, his breath hot against her sweaty skin.

Their conversation was quickly postponed, at least until after the lovemaking, and as they clung to each other, hips pumping in synchrony' Eric groaned her name against her shoulder as she did the same against his neck. Their climaxes were quick, though the aftershocks lasted for a few long minutes. Their breathing and heartbeat returned to their natural state, and finally he pulled back and placed a soft, open-mouth kiss against her swollen lips.

"Nadi, will you marry me?"

"What?" she asked, her eyes opening quickly as she saw the love in his eyes, though there was concern shining as well.

"Will…will you marry me?"

* * *

Vaughn woke slowly, his mind slightly disoriented with the darkness of his surroundings. The warm presence against his chest brought him back to reality as he unconsciously tightened his arms around his wife and son, a smile forming on his lips as he looked down at their sleeping figures.

Managing to slip out from behind them, he took the blanket from the back of the couch and pressed it to Sydney's back, making sure she didn't roll backwards and have a rude awakening. Luckily, his two slumbering family members didn't even stir and he went around making sure all the doors and windows were locked before walking back into the living room.

Sydney had rolled back a bit, Danny's body almost completely on top of her chest and stomach, her arms around him holding tight.

Michael ran a hand through Danny's hair before moving up and cupping her cheek, his arms sliding carefully underneath their two bodies and lifting them both up into his arms. His muscles strained, but it wasn't too difficult to get them both situated against his chest, Danny's cheek resting over his heart, Sydney's set a bit higher up on his shoulder.

He took the stairs carefully, his two precious bundles bouncing a little as he reached the top of the stairs, bypassing Danny's bedroom and the nursery, straight to the master room he shared with Sydney.

Settling them into the bed, he managed to separate them both and pick Danny back up, his little squeak the only indication that he noticed the movement from one parent to the other.

He got him to his bedroom, using a free hand to grab pajamas from the top of the dresser. Placing him gently onto the bed in a slouched sitting position, his little green eyes opening to find himself sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Daddy," he mumbled, Vaughn softly reassuring his confused son that he was right there, proceeding to get him dressed relatively quickly, tucking him in with a kiss to his forehead. By the time he got to the door and looked back, the boy was already back to sleep.

Switching on the nightlight, he left the door open a few inches before returning to the bedroom to do the same with his wife. He stopped in surprise as he found the room empty, the familiar creak of the wooden rocking chair echoing down the hallway from the nursery alerting him to where she was.

He peeked his head in, seeing her sleepy eyes looking down at one of the twins, the angle and lighting making it almost impossible to see which one from the door. Soft suckling noises mixed with grunts made him smile, instantly recognizing the unique sounds Will made while enjoying a meal.

"Did you get Danny tucked in?" her soft sentence made him jump, his eyes darting from the baby cradled in her arms up to her soft questioning eyes.

"Yeah, he's sleeping. Matty need to eat as well?" he asked, walking into the room and looking down into the large crib where both babies slept, Matty's little hand holding his right ear as the other lodged into his suckling mouth.

With smooth motions, Vaughn pulled the blanket tighter around Matty's body, feeling the slight warmth to his cheeks as he frowned. "I'm gonna check his temp."

"He warm?"

"A little, but it may just be from the blanket. It's kinda hot in here," he smiled reassuringly, grabbing the thermometer from the drawer in the changing table, removing his tiny son's thumb and replacing it with the binky-like device. Since no parent enjoys sticking something up their baby's rear for a proper temp reading, Sydney had purchased a new thermometer from the store. It was shaped like a pacifier, ensuing that the baby wasn't so keen on spitting it out. It had been a life saver with little Matty because of the many times a day when his temperature was needed to be taken due to his ear infection.

A quiet beep made him remove it, setting a real binky in its place as he looked at the reading closely. "Well, it's about 98.3 degrees, not too bad." He smiled over at Sydney as she pulled down her baggy shirt and set Will against her shoulder to be burped. "Here, let me burp him while you go change into pj's." he reached out, taking the infant from her arms, helping pull her up as she placed the burping diaper over his shoulder.

"Thanks," a sweet kiss was pressed against his jaw, his eyes following Sydney's smooth movements as she peeked over the crib and ran a hand over Matty's head, tucking her hair behind her ear and brushing her lips against his forehead prior to exiting the room.

Will squeaked against his shoulder, his bright blue eyes wide open, Michael pulling away and looking down at him. "Oh, come on, pal. Let's go back to sleep…c'mon," he cooed, but the infant's eyes remained attentive even after his burp.

Michael sighed, keeping the baby in his arms as he left the nursery to walk the length of the hall. While Matty was more than content to fall asleep being held, Will was another story. This baby loved everything about movement and had to constantly be in motion for him to settle down and sleep. He'd walked the hallway three or four times, the squeaking of the baby soft in his ear as he heard the bath tub filling with water in his room. Chancing a peek down at his son, he noticed that he'd finally drifted off.

Keeping up his walking, me made sure Will was definitely asleep before carrying him back to the nursery and placing him in next to his brother. He tucked them both back in, placing gentle kisses to their heads, flipping on the baby monitor before leaving the room.

He walked into the bedroom, Sydney sitting at the computer desk in the corner, her silk robe around her shoulders as she leafed through their progressing baby books. Deciding on two for the twins was difficult, since they were growing up side by side, but they figured that later in life both Will and Matty would be able to look back on their personal lives rather than it just being 'The Twins'.

"Thought you were gonna slip into bed," he mumbled, moving around the room and shedding his jeans in the process, his Scooby-Doo boxers making her smile. He lifted up a pair of pajama bottoms, yanking his shorts off and replacing them with the leggings as he pulled his t-shirt off over his head. When she didn't answer he paused, gathering his favorite old, tattered grey shirt and shook it out, looking over at her. "You okay?"

She watched him dress methodically, wishing for the millionth time that week that she wasn't only in her second and a half week of healing.

"I figured that, since I have to feed Matty in forty-five minutes, I'd take a bath and relax."

He nodded with a smile, peeking into the bathroom as he noticed the fresh scent of her lilac bubble mix. "Well, if you want company…" he left off, wiggling his eyebrows at her as his fingers repeatedly stretched the material of his sleep-pants.

"You don't have to ask, but I figured you'd want to get to sleep," she stood, deciding to ignore his innuendos, walking into the bathroom after placing a kiss to his tattooed shoulder.

"Hmm…let me think. Bath with my wife or sleeping alone?" he asked with a chuckle, tossing his shirt over to the bed and following her into the large room, the giant tub looming before them. He'd specifically chosen this house because of the large master bathroom. The bathtub - equipped with jets - was perfect for Sydney's late night baths when her back was sore. Now, without two infants pressing on her spine, it was mostly used as an ocean for Danny's bath time - several toy sail boats sitting in a crate in the corner – as well as Mommy/Daddy relax time.

Michael's hands rubbed gently at her shoulders, the muscles twitching underneath his palms. His fingers gripped the collar of the material carefully and pulled it down her arms, one hand snaking around her waist and undoing the knot against her flattening stomach. Though she still had some baby fat leftover, which he adored, she was slowly getting back into the shape she was before the twins made themselves known inside her taut stomach.

"Michael…you know we can't do anything yet," she sighed, leaning back against his strong chest as his hands undid the robe's tie and let the two strands hang limply against her thighs.

"I know," he whispered into her ear, the hot gust of his breath making her shiver as the steam rolling off of the almost full tub brushed against the open skin between her breasts and the scant few inches the open material had exposed down to the juncture of her thighs.

The more he pulled the soft sleeves down her arms, the more her skin was revealed. "Then why exactly are you doing this?" she muttered, her hands reaching up as she set them against the corded muscles of his lower arms. Each move he made, her hands went with him.

"Because there's more to loving you than sex, Sydney," his voice was sweet and low, the material falling away from her skin and getting wedged between their bodies. He pulled away from her, allowing the robe to land on the ground, the soft whoosh of the fabric tickling the back of her legs and landing atop his feet. She stood naked before him, her skin a delicate pallet for his fingers as they traced inarticulate patterns around her stomach and abdomen.

Lifting her up and into the water she patiently waited for him to shed his trousers and join her, his body sliding into the water causing the ripples to move around her waist as his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her close.

She sighed into his embrace, their cheeks pressing together and hands twining over her bellybutton. An occasional finger would dip into the depressing, her giggle making him smile as he moved, rubbing his nose against the spot below her ear.

One large hand broke away from the tangle of fingers, skidding down until he reached her upper thighs. Using his thumb to massage at the skin, she sighed and closed her eyes against the sensations. He held her close, his cheek leaving hers only to press a kiss against her neck or shoulders. His tongue sneaked out, laving at her pulse point as she released a small whimper from the back of her throat.

The sensations of millions of little bubbles popping against both of their bodies was merely adding wood to the fire, his erection rubbing against the small of her back as his first finger finally delved into her folds, finding her wet _despite _the hot water surrounding them.

Her hand clutched his arm, just below his elbow, Michael's thumb brushing against the bundle of nerves at her pleasure center. His left hand remained stationary, fingers still wound between hers as her head tilted back to rest against his shoulder. His eyes remained open, content to watch his beautiful wife in the throes of passion.

Vaughn kept his movements slow and deliberate, a finger pressing against her entrance, slipping in until her hoarse voice against his ear made him pull back.

"Still too sore; sorry sweetie." He apologized, moving back up to the button, his eyes noticing the pearling drop of milk against her breast. Breaking his other hand free, he cupped the mound softly, leaning over her shoulder and bringing it to his lips. Placing several kisses against the skin surrounding the nipple, he slowly encased the leaking bud between his suckling lips, his tongue getting the first taste of the sweet milk she offered their sons.

_'Food of the gods, indeed,'_ he thought to himself, pulling away to leave the rest for his sleeping son in the next room. He traced the curve of her neck, feeling her swallow beneath his lips as he found her own mouth, opening quickly to accommodate his kiss.

She could taste herself on his tongue, strange for a moment until her mind lost all coherent thought when his fingers pressed urgently against her clit. She wiggled her backside a bit, throwing him off as she rubbed against his cock, the warm water making the swollen flesh throb in time with his heartbeat.

She managed to slide herself next to him, her hand pulling him back to her core as the other wrapped around his hardness. His lips pulled away with a groan, each taking a moment to suck a few deep breaths into their lungs before crashing together once more, her fingers running up and down his shaft as his kept up a circular pattern over her own swollen bit of flesh.

They each felt the familiar tingling in their lower stomach, the beginning of the end approaching. Sydney sped up her movements against his turgid shaft, her thumb pressing in the head as he groaned against her tongue. In turn, his fingers increased the pressure against the bud of nerves, their mouths breaking apart as she tucked her face into his shoulder, the warm water lapping at their throbbing bodies. Sydney moaned as the tingle turned into a raging inferno, her climax nearly splitting her in two.

The sudden squeeze to his cock made Vaughn pump up and explode, half of his first shot spurting from the water to land on his stomach as his hand wrapped around her stilled fingers, keeping them in a pumping rhythm until his orgasm was complete. He pulled her hand from his still hard cock, bringing her fingers to his lips for a kiss. Removing his hand from between her legs, his arm remained wrapped around her to hold her firmly against his body.

They stayed squeezed together for a few more minutes, the quiet whimper of a baby coming over the monitor in the bedroom.

"Mmm, I dun wanna move," she muttered against his neck, their hands resting together over his chest as he grinned, kissing her palm once more before using his arm to pull her into a sitting position with him.

Michael jumped out first, extending his hand to his tired and sated wife as she allowed him to pull her from the water, the cool air feeling good against her overheated skin. He grabbed the large, fluffy beach towel from the linen cabinet and wrapped it around his back, turning and pulling her against him, connecting the sides of the towel around her front and effectively cocooning their dripping bodies into the downy terrycloth.

They took turns drying quickly, Sydney grabbing his boxers from the floor and pulling them on along with his button up shirt from the rocking chair in the corner. Buttoning the single snap in the middle, she ran a brush through her hair and quickly pulled it up into a knot at the back of her head before moving quickly down the hallway to the twins' room.

"_Shh, little Matty, don't wake up your brother,"_ she cooed, Michael hearing her gentle voice over the baby monitor in the bedroom.

Turning up the volume, he proceeded to dress back into his pajamas while listening to her talk softly to the infant. Once he was dressed, his eyes skimmed over to the dresser. Walking over, he grabbed the monitor from the nightstand and took it with him.

He flopped into the sturdy wooden chair, the pillow soft against his backside as he got comfortable before opening up the right-hand drawer, extracting a tattered, leather notebook.

"_You are so precious my little boy,"_ her voice was constant as Michael opened up the journal, the first entry dated September 17th, 1979. The rest of the pages were far more recent, but none the less - Michael enjoyed reading the last entry of his father's old journal.

It talked of his impending mission, though the details were vague, mostly skimming over his looming doubts about the task at hand. Though, the one sentence that haunted Michael since the first day he'd read it was still there – unchanged over the years:

"**Though I don't openly trust the situation we're walking into, my superior officer knows that my family comes first in my life; my wife and son are everything. I doubt he'd send me into a position where the outcome would be anything less than returning safely to my home."**

_'How I wish __**that**were true,'_ Vaughn thought, leafing through the rest of the old writing before skimming through the pages of his own entries before finding the next fresh page.

Dating it up at the top, he began to write.

_9 December, 2005_

_Here I am, once again, writing as I listen to my Sydney talk to little Matty. Though I'm not one for following a routine in my life, I guess that this is something we do almost every night. She goes in after a hot bath – and tonight I stress **hot** – to feed our tiniest little boy…and I sit and listen as she talks to him. Sometimes sings, depending on the mood._

_I never once understood the meaning of the word family until after starting my whirlwind relationship with Sydney. Sure I'd thought about it, but I hadn't much entertained the thought of me settling down, getting the house; the dog; the fence and actually being happy with my life._

"_Shh, close your eyes, sweetie,"_ her soft voice spoke after a few moments of silence, Vaughn stopping as he looked over at the small speaker with a wistful smile. Matty's little cry could be heard, and he knew she would have to put the drops in his ears for him to sleep soundly.

_Little Matty's ears are a big concern. The doctor's given him plenty of drops, but they don't seem to last too long. Hopefully they'll clear up soon and he can go back to being a content little guy. It kills us both to see him in such obvious pain but be unable to do anything about it._

_That's a rarity in our lives, and I know Syd gets more frustrated than I do. She's never __not been able to fix something; never __not had the answer to a problem. I guess we're both still learning about this parenting **thing**, but that doesn't mean it's easy to see your child hurting._

_We seem to be in the same position with Danny as well. Though his chemo's been going nicely and his new doctor says he's beginning to get clear readings in his blood work, it's never a joy to watch them poke him with yet another needle._

_All in all though, I'm a pretty happy guy._

"_Matty, it's bed time,"_ though she was serious, her voice was reassuring as he could hear the rustling of blankets, assuming that she moved him to her chest.

_There's something about holding a brand new baby against your chest that makes you feel like a king. Matty's favorite spot is right in the center of your chest, and the way he wiggles his little head underneath your chin is so cute, there aren't words I can express to even come close to explaining the feeling I get in my heart._

_God help me if Weiss ever gets a hold of this damn thing._

_That's another aspect of my life that's great: having Eric and Nadi nearby. He's the closest thing I have to a brother, and I wouldn't ask for anyone else to help Syd and I raise the boys._

_My father was right: **My wife and son(s) are everything.**_

Signing it down at the bottom, he sighed, closing the book and placing it back into the drawer as Sydney pleaded with Matty to fall back to sleep.

"_My darling little boy, please; mommy's tired."_ He cracked a grin, doubting that a guilt trip would work this early on in the child's life. Taking the monitor and flopping down on the bed, he placed it on his chest as he listened to her voice lull the baby.

She started to hum, the song foreign to his ears, the sounds going up and down in terms of volume and he knew she'd begun to walk him around the room. He closed his eyes, the vision of his Sydney walking in circles around the pale blue nursery – Matty against her chest as he listened to the reverberations of her song mixing with the thud and thump of her heartbeat.

He'd seen her in many different disguises.

Cocktail dressed; latex pants; evening gowns, etc. But there wasn't anything more beautiful than when she was wearing his clothes holding one of his children, he'd decided.

His cry interrupted her humming. _"Shh, baby, I know your ear hurts. Mommy's so sorry, sweetie, so sorry. They'll be all better soon, little guy,"_

She began humming once more, though the humming gave way to lyrics as she attempted singing to put Matty back to sleep.

"_When the dark wood fell before me  
And all the paths were overgrown  
When the priests of pride say there is no other way  
I tilled the sorrows of stone_

_I did not believe because I could not see  
Though you came to me in the night  
When the dawn seemed forever lost  
You showed me your love in the light of the stars_

_Cast your eyes on the ocean  
Cast your soul to the sea  
When the dark night seems endless  
Please remember me"_

Back in the room, Sydney swayed back and forth slowly, little Matty's fingers clutching his ear; opening and closing around the body part, his hand struggled to hold on, unable to grip fully yet.

She patted his padded bottom, the fuzzy velour footie pajamas he was wearing hanging off of his feet since it they were too large for him, the soft cotton blanket keeping his back warm as she pulled it from her shoulder and draped it over him. Her other hand rested against his upper back, her fingers extending up over the back of his head, the knit cap protecting his little bald head and keeping his body heat in. He whimpered against her chest, one little hand twitching out to the side, his binky clattering to the floor.

Grabbing another from the top of the dresser, she stuck it back between his lips as she continued her hike around the room, peering in to make sure Will was still contentedly sleeping.

"Then the mountain rose before me  
By the deep well of desire  
From the fountain of forgiveness  
Beyond the ice and the fire

Though we share this humble path, alone  
How fragile is the heart  
Oh give these clay feet wings to fly  
To touch the face of the stars

Breathe life into this feeble heart  
Lift this mortal veil of fear  
Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears  
We'll rise above these earthly cares

Cast your eyes on the ocean  
Cast your soul to the sea  
When the dark night seems endless  
Please remember me"

Taking a tentative look down at the baby, she smiled in victory when she spied his closed eyes and heard his even little breathing. She wrapped him back up and set him in with his brother, replacing Will's thumb with a pacifier and brushing soft kisses to their cheeks, resting a hand against each of their chests before moving across the hall into Danny's room.

He hadn't moved since Michael had tucked him in, even though she wasn't present for it, she could still see where her husband had smoothed the blanket over his stomach and tucked it around his torso and legs. She knelt next to his bed, her hand running through his hair as he sighed in his sleep, shifting until he was facing her on his side. He tucked his little hand underneath his cheek, Sydney smiling at his innocence as she brushed a kiss to his forehead and stood, walking back to her bedroom.

Vaughn lay on his back in the center of the bed, his hand clutching the monitor to his chest as he slept. Brushing a kiss against his mouth, she pulled the device from his hand and set it on the nightstand, seeing him open his eyes and yawn.

"Didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered, climbing into bed on her side, Michael doing the same after turning off the light and switching on the lava lamp in the corner. They'd put it up for Danny, kind of the adult version of a nightlight.

He crawled in next to her, his arms immediately reaching out and pulling her soft body against his. "I love you so much Sydney,"

She smiled, looking up from her spot on his chest as he peered down at her with sincerity shining in his half closed eyes. She watched him for a minute, thinking back to all the times where she'd managed to convince herself that she'd never be here again.

That she'd never get a chance to have her own family with him, one that they would raise together. And never did she once think that her family would come before all things in her life.

How wrong was she?

"What?" he asked, questioning her scrutiny.

"Have you ever wished that you could just stop time? Live here, at this moment forever?"

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her nose before closing his eyes, flopping back onto his pillow. "All the time, baby, all the time."

* * *

A/N: I know, it kinda pulls at the heartstrings, doesn't it? **The end.**

Wow. Never thought I'd get here.

Big hats off to my wonderful beta Sara! I love you so much girl!

So, here ends Have You Ever…

395 pages, 135,414 words, and many months of toil.

Coming soon: **Would You Rather…**

Thanks all!!

-Jean


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